Taming The Wildfire
by Jenova Virus
Summary: Koyuki is a girl who has her own share of struggles in life but life takes a turn upon unexpectedly receiving the Red Aura. Little did she know that she was given this power by a feared Red King in hopes to save her life.
1. Chapter 1

_There is a legend that circulates in Shizume city. A man who possesses demonic power of raging flames._

 _The legend of one monster._

 _That man leads his followers, strolling around destroying thugs who have been active in the underworld. The people who want to become a comrade of that man are often burned by his flames and die but the ones who overcome the flames and survive obtain a "power"._

 _His eye have the gold color of a fierce carnivorous beast's and his hair has the color of burning flames.  
_

Finger nails tapped against the wooden countertops. Almost fifteen minutes then Koyuki was done her shift for the day and had plans to reunite with her couch. Despite the restaurant being filled with people, mostly a party of a group with blue long jackets, it wasn't very busy and time didn't want to pass. Koyuki lifted herself from the counter to respond to a waving hand at one of the tables with three people.

"Excuse me, can I have a coffee?" One of the males at the table asked.

"Sure, I'll be right back with it." Koyuki smiled sweetly. Turning around on her heels, she walked into the kitchen to brew some coffee. One of her co-workers walked up to her and shoved a platter with some drinks into her arms.

"Here's the drinks for table 7. I'm going on my break." Mariko ordered. "Back in a few." Mariko came as fast as she left with Koyuki unable to react. She sighed while taking out her phone and replying to a text she got from her best friend. She grabbed the plate and walked onto the floor but was soon stopped. A brown haired boy holding a skateboard yelled at a customer and looked as if things were going to get heated. The group wearing the blue coats, known as Scepter 4, stood up from their table with their hands on their swords ready to unsheathe. One of them stood confidently with his hands in his pockets who seemed to be the one that the skater was shouting at but he only smiled.

"Dammit Monkey you traitor."

"This Strain is property of Scepter 4. I have no right to release it." Fushimi spoke pushing up his glasses.

"Since when were you about following orders?" The skater asked.

"Since wiping my ass of HOMRA… Mi-sa-ki." This seemed to have struck a nerve on the beanie wearing skater, next thing they knew, tables were flying across the room.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that? It's Yata now." He shouted throwing a plate like a frisbee at the crowd of Scepter 4. The member that stood closest to Yata used his sword to slice it in half but had no time to block the oncoming skater who swung his baseball bat around. All other customers ran out of the building running away from the brawl. It was hardly fair, one versus five until a fat tanned guy comes through the door and looks around before running into the brawl to aid his solo comrade. Koyuki ducks down behind the counter avoiding flying objects.

"Kamamoto." Yata called.

"I got you covered bro." The fat guy reassured taking on a few of the blue jackets.

"Who needs HOMRA? Who needs loyalty?" Fushimi shouted swinging his sword at Yata who was dodging and blocking with his skateboard. It grew very hot like they were in a furnace.

"How dare you talk about HOMRA like that?" Yata yelled.

"You'd rather join the Blue Butts? That's pretty lame." The fat guy shouted. Fushimi ran a hand through his black hair and smirked.

"I bow to no one." Fushimi swung his sword at Yata who managed to block it with his board and got sent through the glass onto the sidewalk outside. Fushimi jumped off of the window ledge and leapt through the air. The tanned fat guy, Kamamoto, soon followed his buddy and dashed after Fushimi. Scepter 4 followed the leader. Koyuki was left by herself in a room that looked as if it had been hit by a hurricane. The door behind her squeaked open.

"Oh my gosh, what happened here?" Mariko asked almost dropping a glass of water she was carrying then she eyed Koyuki sitting on the ground behind the counter with her arms behind her neck. "Why didn't you do anything about this?" She didn't move. "Koyuki." Mariko half shouted.

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you do anything about this? All of our customers are gone and so is our paycheck."

"I'm sorry." She said. Mariko huffed.

"You better get going before the boss shows up tonight." Koyuki nodded before going to clock out at the back.

Koyuki walked through Shizume City's central park and waited on a park bench in the shade. She put a hand to her forehead and looked around for a familiar face before taking in the grassy musk. The sun was a few hours from going behind the buildings. Koyuki hated the cold of the night, it always made her feel isolated to the point where she wanted to be embraced by someone from behind but such a thing was not likely to happen. Her PDA buzzed in her pocket but when taking it out to look at it, she was interrupted by a friendly voice.

"Hiya, Koyuki." Her best friend waved running up to the bench adorned in a long winter jacket and woven scarves.

"Yuzu!" Koyuki's face lit up. She stood up to meet her friend.

"I see you got my message. Thanks for coming."

"Yeah, I came straight from work. A bit of a bar fight broke out but I made it."

"Oh no, is everything okay?" Yuzu questioned tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, some broken glass, overturned tables and stuff but no one was seriously hurt. They broke through the window and continued outside. Mariko was on her break when it happened."

"That girl really knows when to slip away. I hope you're not allowing her to boss you around anymore." Koyuki looked at her shoes and tapped her heels together.

"Koyuki!" Koyuki flinched. "You can't let her take advantage of you. You need to learn when to say no to her. She's the kind of person that will step all over you if you let her."

"I don't want to get on her bad side. When she gets mad, she makes sure you know it and will make my life miserable." Koyuki explained remembering the first time she said no to Mariko she took her paycheck out of her hand and shredded it right in front of her. Koyuki tried but could not get another one made out to her.

"Then you go to your manager and tell them about it."

"I'm not in high school, Yuzu. Things are different now."

"That's right! You two are not in high school so she shouldn't act like it." Koyuki didn't know how to respond. She knew that Yuzu is right but life is so much more peaceful without all of that drama. Making the mistake of being on Mariko's bad side could be humiliating; you may as well quit your job and move to a different city on the other side of Japan.

"Did you call me here to give me a lecture or was there something else you wanted to tell me?" Koyuki questioned. Yuzu stepped to the side and was suddenly searching for words. Young snowflakes began to fall around them as Koyuki waited for an answer.

"I'm… moving away soon… to England." Koyuki froze. "I've been accepted into Oxford University and am starting next term in two weeks."

"What? You can't be serious. But what about our plans of going to University together? We only have a few more months to save up before we can apply. We were going to be dorm buddies." Koyuki stopped. "How can you afford this?"

"I've been granted scholarships." Koyuki's shoulders fell as she turned away from Yuzu. "I'll be back for a week at Christmas and we can talk every day, I promise… Koyuki?" Yuzu watched as her best friends shoulders shook.

"If that's what you want then I'm happy for you." Koyuki smiled at her fighting against her quivering lip. Yuzu relaxed convinced by Koyuki's smile and smiled back. "You shouldn't pass this opportunity by. You've worked so hard and need to be proud of the fact that you got accepted into such an amazing university. You'd be crazy not to go."

"Thank you." Yuzu nodded. "I really needed to hear that." The two stood for a moment smiling at each other through the dusting of snow. Yuzu took one step to the side clutching her purse to her shoulder. "Well I should get going. There's a lot of stuff I need to pack. I'll hang out with you before I go then I'll call you as soon as my plane lands."

"Mkay." Koyuki nodded and Yuzu waved before walking away. Once her best friend was out of sight, she wiped the tears from your eyes. "Good luck… without me. You'll do great." She whispered. Her feet began to move her out of the park and towards her home. Suddenly people seemed to walk right through her though the world sped past as she slowly made her way home. She had to pull herself aside down an alleyway to regroup. "Now what am I going to do? First father now Yuzu. I can't take much more than this." Koyuki covered her face hiding her falling tears. "What am I going to do now? I am so lost I don't know what to do? I can't go to school alone. I won't know anybody there." Koyuki cringed. "I'm scared." She slid down the side of a wall and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Snow continued to fall on the barren ground on top of Koyuki who sat in an alleyway with her head between her knees and arms covering her face. She hadn't moved and nobody paid attention to her whom walked past the entry of the alley as if frozen along with the snow. She did not shiver. The odd person that walked down they alleyway took one look while passing by but continued on their way. No one checked to see if she was alive. Her breath was invisible unlike everyone else's in the snowfall.

A clan of young men strolled by talking amongst themselves and walked past the alleyway. A few more steps then the one with fiery red hair stopped. His group stopped in front of him and turned to their leader.

"Hm, is something wrong, Mikoto?" Kusanagi asked.

"Yeah, what's up man?" Yata questioned.

Mikoto's sharp yellow eyes lifted to his group through the cigarette smoke coming from his mouth.

"Meet me back at HOMRA bar." He stated turning around.

"Uh, alright boss." Kusanagi responded a little flabbergasted like the others but regardless they didn't question their leader and continued to walk away from him. Mikoto waited for his group to walk around the building before he started. He retraced his steps back to the entry to the alley. She was still there, pale blue hair silhouetted around her sides. He walked until he was directly in front of her facing the empty shell. Mikoto stared down a few minutes before taking his cigarette and stamping it onto the pavement. He got down on one knee to her level.

"Do you intend on sleeping there all night?" Mikoto asked. No answer. "You'll catch a cold."

"That's not the worst that can happen."

"It will when no one's around to take you to the hospital when it turns into a virus." Finally she moved her arms to her side and lifted her head. Her empty azure eyes peered at him through her messy bangs. "Let's skip that and get you inside somewhere."

"I'm sorry but I don't know you." She spoke dully. Mikoto frowned before getting up.

"That's your decision to make." He said in a husky voice beginning to walk away.

"Don't leave me!" She shouted reaching up and grabbing the sleeve of his leather jacket. Mikoto turned around to unexpectedly catch her. The girl lay lifelessly in his arms. How long was she out here? Even in his arms she felt frozen. He picked her up and summoned his red aura providing her with warmth while carrying her back to HOMRA headquarters. The gray skies started to get dark as the evening approached. Mikoto looked down at her in his arms as he followed the corner and walked through the door to the bar. The group of boys he was walking with earlier was all lounging in a booth seating area with the table pushed to the side. Their faces lifted seeing their leader walk through the door ringing the bell above the frame.

"Mikoto." A few of them exclaimed running up to him and Kusanagi dropped the glass he was cleaning to join them. They all looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Who is this?" Tatara asked.

"Leave it to our king to pick someone up off of the street." Yata mentioned causing the guys to break out into laughter. A young pale girl dressed it Lolita attire sat at the counter with her drink and stared at the stranger in Mikoto's arms. She grabbed one of the marbles that was idling near her bottle of cola and looked through it.

"Kosuke's the one who did that last when he picked Eric up and brought him here." Kamamoto laughed.

"Yeah, between him and Mikoto, there won't be any strays left." Bandou joked. The guys laughed again before Mikoto made his way past them upstairs. He took her to one of the spare rooms that had a bed in it and placed her on top of the sheets. She never started to shiver at all oddly for someone who sat in the snow for who knows how long. Mikoto took one look at Koyuki before he joined his comrades downstairs.

"Hey, king, how's she doing?" Tatara questioned being the first one to notice Mikoto come down.

"She'll be fine."

"Where did you find her?" Kamamoto asked after receiving a fresh bottle of beer from Kusanagi whom ran and owned the bar HOMRA. Anna jumped off of the bar stool to greet Mikoto by grabbing his hand.

"The alley around a warehouse."

"I wonder what happened to her." Shouhei thought out loud.

"She's pretty cute, isn't she Yata?" Chitose elbowed Yata the obvious virgin who was blushing like mad.

"H-hey cut it out man." Yata frowned wanting to blend into the wood flooring.

"Hands off Chitose. Not until the king gives the word." Kusanagi defended speaking for Mikoto. Anna looked up at him and squeezed his hand harder.

 _What's the matter with me? This must all be a dream. It can't be real._


	2. Chapter 2

Koyuki's eyes opened but she lay there not wanting to face reality. She was still almost unable to move as a half hour passed never realizing that she was even awake. Finally her mind warped back to the room she was in a little confused on how she got where she was. The first thing that came to her mind was the cold and falling snow. Koyuki was startled at the sudden outburst of male laughter coming from downstairs. Who was kind enough to take her in? The sound of all the males did not sit well with her. Did they want something from her? Were they going to take advantage of her? Koyuki sat up at the edge of the bed but had to catch herself from falling over. The world seemed to spin around her as she sat very still. Eventually she built up enough strength to walk over to the door and place a shaky hand on the brassy knob. As Koyuki made her way down the hallway gliding her hand against the wall, she prayed that she could leave safely. She walked through a hallway and down a simple wooden staircase that lead to a beautiful and obviously pricey bar. The wood counter was carved and stained looking as if it came straight from England with a metal foot runner to rest your feet. The chairs at the bar were almost a red diner style that swirled around. The ceiling even had a carved beveled square pattern that matched the counters carvings. At the other end of the counter was a retro jukebox that was the first single object to catch her eye. Bottles of alcohol perfectly lined up against the wall with two taps protruding from the middle of the counter. There was a lounging area with a sofa against a wall with two English style windows where the group of men sat with other bar chairs pulled over.

They were all young men. Koyuki blushed at all of them. Anna was the only young female in the group that looked like she was somewhere in the elementary school age. She had beautiful silver hair and pale skin to match. She dressed in a dark red and black frilly Lolita style dress with a dressy top hat tilted to the left side of her head that was secured to her head with a ribbon forming a bow behind her right ear. Tatara had almost shoulder length shaggy blonde hair with a piercing on his left helix. His eyes revealed strength, stubbornness and kindness. She recognized two of them from the restaurant incident. Yata the skater punk who had messy chestnut hair under a dark toque, baggy white sweater, cargo shorts with a long sleeved red sweater tied around his waist and Kamamoto the fat man wearing aviator sunglasses, a white hoodie, a bleached well kept beard and was adorned in bling including a chained amulet. Koyuki's shoulders raised as all heads turned to her.

"Hey are you okay?" A few of the guys asked. Koyuki's eyes squinted at the group for a moment. She could have sworn that something was radiating from each and every one of them.

"I'm sorry." She blushed, "for making you all worry. I'll be going now. Thank you so much." She waved moving her shaky body towards the door.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Shouhei questioned. Tatara stood up from his bar stool to run over and stop her from falling.

"You don't look too good." He said after Tatara caught her. Koyuki looked over at the man whom she recognized and assumed that he was the one that saved her. His hair was red that looked like it was fire itself and his eyes were as golden and piercing as the sun like it could burn holes through anything that they made contact with. He wore a very uninterested expression on his face.

"No really, I'm fine. You all have done enough already. I can take care of myself now." Koyuki persuaded. Anna was sitting right beside Mikoto and she looked up at him and he noticed her gaze then he lifted his head and eyed Koyuki with his piercing yellow irises.

"You're not good enough to leave, not until you get well." Mikoto's husky voice made his way back into Koyuki's memory when he first spoke to her.

"Sorry little lady, looks like you're going back to bed." Kusanagi said in almost a flirty tone raising his eyebrows that peeked through his side part bangs.

"Kings orders." Tatara said taking Koyuki by the arm and turning her around.

"B-but." She squeaked as she was being lead back the stairs to the room.

"Back ya go." Before she knew it, Koyuki was back in the bed and had even been tucked in by the young man that led her back up. "There you go. Sorry about keeping you here, I never properly introduced myself. I'm Tatara Totsuka."

"Koyuki Tsukasa and… thank you for your kindness."

"The king found you and brought you here. He said you were just passed out. Can I get you anything?" Tatara asked and Koyuki shook her head. "Alright, don't be afraid to ask. I'll leave you here to rest some more." He said moving to the door and shutting it behind him.

Koyuki was a little confused on how she ended up back in bed under an unfamiliar roof with a group of men she didn't even know. Some things in life don't make sense. All of the guys below were young men in their 20's or so except the one girl. What was such a young girl doing with a group of grown men? They all seemed to know each other based on that they were sitting in one big group when she wandered downstairs. Koyuki's mind stopped after she began to violently cough. Her throat felt as if it were enclosing on her nearly suffocating her to death. After regaining lost air, she realized how weak she actually was, her body was trembling and zapped of energy.

Tatara walked down to rejoin his group and took a seat on one of the table chairs. Everyone looked at him curiously.

"Any more info on her?" Shouhei asked adjusting the baseball cap on his head that read 'HMR'.

"The only thing I can tell you is her name: Koyuki Tsukasa." Tatara informed. Kusanagi squint his eyes.

"Tsukasa, why does that name sound so familiar?" He pondered to himself.

"She seems quite polite." Kamamoto noted.

"Yeah, she definitely won't fit in here." Yata nervously smiled. Mikoto opened his eyes and looked down the hall at the stairs.

Koyuki had lost track of the time lying in a slightly uncomfortable bed. The only reason it was uncomfortable is because it was not her home although she thought she may have managed to doze off for a while but it was more like a cat nap since she woke up quite a few times from sweating. She felt as if her body was burning underneath her skin and melting through her veins. It was still slightly dark outside but gradually got lighter confirming to her the morning had come. Her eyes slit open a bit and looked at her phone scrolling through her contacts until she got to WORK and pushed call. There was no answer at this early hour so she left a message calling in sick. She felt bad calling in on her very last day of work before she had a few days off but it couldn't be helped. As she hung up, she let her hand drop down the side of the bed she was facing and the PDA fell out of her hand with a clunk. Not long after there was a knock at the door and Koyuki lifted her eyes as it opened.

"Looks like you're awake." Kusanagi said carrying a bag in his hand. Koyuki felt obliged to sit up. "How ya feelin?" She tried to find enough energy to speak.

"Good." She managed to say though she lied.

"I brought you something to eat. Sorry I don't have any food available downstairs. I only serve drinks so I went and picked this up for you." Koyuki received the bag and pulled out a sealed paper bowl that was warm to the touch. Upon opening it, its lumpy texture and smell confirmed it to be oatmeal. As soon as it tickled her nose she discovered how much her stomach craved for food and took no time deciding if she should eat it. Kusanagi sat on a nearby chair. "Tatara told everyone that your name is Koyuki Tsukasa. I have never properly introduced myself. I'm Izumo Kusanagi though I am referred as Kusanagi."

"I'm sorry for being in your way." She apologized in between mouthfuls.

"No need to apologize, Mikoto was the one that brought you here so you stay here until you build up enough strength."

"Last night he was referred to as the king. What is he king of?" Koyuki asked with a little more energy.

"Oh that? We call Mikoto king because he is the leader of the group of guys you seen yesterday though that was only a few of them. The Red King to be exact. We call our little posy HOMRA, the name that this bar was named after. Mikoto has a knack for bringing in guys that are having a tough time. This provides the guys a place where they can just be themselves." Kusanagi stopped and smirked. "This is the first time that he's brought a girl to HOMRA. Well… more like a woman." Koyuki's stomach began to feel uneasy at the mention of this. She could feel her food swirling around in her belly.

"But what about that little girl?"

"Oh that's Anna. She's the princess of our little gang and mostly hangs out with Mikoto. She doesn't have any parents but so we've kinda adopted her. Yep, she is our princess alright." Kusanagi stopped and noticed Koyuki hasn't touched her food since the mention of her being the first woman all she did was stare into the bowl. "Well, I'll leave you to finish. The guys are meeting here this afternoon but are heading out soon after just to give you a heads up. Oh and if you need to leave, the door locks behind itself." He said getting up from the chair. He waved back at her as he made his way out the door then shut it behind him. Koyuki found herself alone again. Over the course of the hours she managed to finish the oatmeal though she disliked it once it got cold. Like Kusanagi predicted, all of the HOMRA guys came in the afternoon with the same noise that they made a day earlier and then got quiet again. Koyuki knew that she wasn't strong enough yet but she was determined to leave the place while no one was around. The floor creaked as soon as she put her weight on the wooden floor. Again she had to use her hand to steady herself against the wall as she walked to and down the stairs but had to stop in between to cough wiping the spit off of her cheeks before she proceeded. As she got to the bar area, she had to stop and admire the craftsmanship that went into making the furnishings. It was so elegant and looked as if it cost fortune.

"You know you're not well enough to leave." A husky voice called out. Koyuki spun on her toes seeing her savior sitting alone on a couch with a smirk on his face. She blushed not knowing what to say. "You're not going to get any better walking out in the cold like that but if you really want to leave, I won't stop you."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble. Thank you for everything." She bowed.

"Hm." Mikoto snorted slightly smirking with his eyes closed. He uncrossed his legs and stood up to close the space between him. Koyuki got a little nervous as his tall figure approached her. He stopped before her and his tired eyes looked down to her. Mikoto held out his right hand to her. "Don't be a stranger around here." Koyuki looked at his hand that was extended towards her for a moment then politely gripped it with a smile. The temperature difference caught her off guard, either she was really cold and didn't realize it or he was really warm. When she looked down at his hand gripping hers she thought she had seen that same red radiating off of his hand as the rest of the guys had but she put a hand on her head and thought she was probably hallucinating. He was the first one to let go but his smirk had changed somehow. Koyuki thought nothing of it as she walked over to the door. Once she had put some distance between her and the bar, she sighed with relief and wondered how she managed to get out of there unscathed. Her place was not very far from here but it was still a walk in the cold that could take a hit on her while being sick.

A while had passed and Mikoto was still hanging around inside HOMRA and Anna was sitting at a table by herself with her five red marbles rolling around on the table over top of a map of the town. Mikoto walked past her after grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge and stopped to follow the moving marbles.

"Did she make it home alright?" Mikoto asked popping the cap off.

"She is safe." Anna replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the course of the weekend, Koyuki found herself get very warm at times so much that she either had to jump in a cold shower to cool down or stand outside but other than that, she felt like herself again. Sweat formed on her brow then her heart started to beat a quick irregular beat before she felt as if she were burning up. She had quickly succumbed to the desire of wearing her summer clothes even though there was a good amount of snow covering the ground outside. Tank tops and shorts soon became her best friend and had abandoned wearing a bra. The day had finally come where she had to go back to work so Koyuki threw on her uniform and carried a jacket along with her and headed out on her way. As she walked, people gave her strange looks of confusion or disbelief as she walked carrying her jacket rather than wearing it and most of her legs were exposed from her dress. As soon as she walked through the door, Mariko dropped what she was doing to exchange a few words with Koyuki.

"Oh Koyuki." Mariko sang. Koyuki flinched hearing that shrill. "What happened a few days ago? You called in sick but you seem fine now. Silly thing is that I got called to cover your shift. We had a deal remember? You cover _me_ and do what _I_ say in exchange I—"

"I'm sorry it won't happen again." Koyuki interrupted.

"Hmph." Mariko smirked before turning around to get back to work. Koyuki sighed dropping her shoulders as she put her belongings away in her locker. She had been working at Blendz & Beanz Café for three years and Mariko was a veteran at the place even though she was nearly the same age as Koyuki. She wiped her wrist on her forehead to find that she was burning up.

As her shift passed, she paid no attention to herself and focused on everything but. Somehow, she wasn't feeling like herself. Koyuki rubbed her eyes as she poured two cups of decaf coffee and carried them out to the assigned table.

"There you are two decafs." Koyuki chirped.

"Thanks miss." A one of the two guys said as Koyuki placed the beverages on the table. "Is something wrong with those mugs?" Koyuki, confused by this comment, looked at the mugs on the table astounded that the handles had almost completely melted off and where fusing to the table leaving behind an outline of black charcoal. Koyuki gasped as she watched the coffee slowly reduced to a simmer as it evaporated away. "How did that happen?"

"Are your hands okay?" Now that he mentioned it, something wet was dripping from her fingers. Koyuki hesitated as she looked down at her hands. Bright orange red liquid with the viscosity of honey ran down to each of her finger tips dropping to the floor and hardening into solid droplets.

"What the hell happened here?" Hiroshi, one of Koyuki's male coworkers asked as he passed by the table with an empty tray in his hands. His squinty eyes opened slightly more than usual. "That can't be good for the table."

"What's going on?" Utaka, the manager on duty asked asserting himself into the situation.

"Koyuki's mugs melted." Hiroshi bluntly said. Utaka sighed.

"Hiroshi, clean up this mess, Koyuki, wash that red hot molten glass off of your hands right now before you get any third degree burns so you can't sue us." Utaka instructed. "I'm sorry we are going to have to move you to a different table."

"I'm sorry I'll get you a new one." Koyuki apologized and ran straight into the kitchen's hand washing station. _That was very strange_ she thought as she turned the tap water on to wash the molten glass. Koyuki leaned over the counter resting her elbows on the edge of the sink and closed her eyes. _I knew that I was much hotter than normal but I didn't expect to be THAT hot._ Koyuki thought. Her eyes shot open after hearing a hissing sound and abruptly pulled away from the flowing water with a screech. After the event processed through her head, she placed her hands under the faucet and watched as the water hit her hands as if it was on a hot metal. The water boiled at the contact of her skin and turned into steam. As soon as Koyuki pulled her hands away again, it dried instantly. _What's going on? What's happening to me?_

"You did what?" Yata asked raising his voice hands forming fists at his tense sides. His shock was directed at the king. HOMRA bar was empty of customers except the usual gang that hung out almost daily there. "You really shook her hand?" With his knees bent, Yata threw his hands onto his toque.

"What's the matter Yata? Are you scared that you're going to have to see _a girl_ again?" Kamamoto annoyed.

"Shut up." Yata shouted turning behind him.

"Yata's so uptight around girls his farts even squeak." Eric chuckled.

"I'll f***ing kill ya." Yata said charging towards Eric but Kusanagi held out his arm and was strong enough to hold him back.

"Guess we'll be seeing her around some more." Kusanagi stated.

"Why'd you have to go and do that Mikoto?" Yata continued to whine.

"Don't question the king." Kamamoto commanded.

Koyuki, finally coming out of shock, remembered that she had two people waiting for their coffee so she went over to the cupboard to grab two new mugs. Touching the handles was successful this time and pouring the coffee was a piece of cake. She awkwardly watched the liquid in the mugs as she proceeded to carry them to the waiting customers.

"Finally, thank you so much." He thanked as Koyuki placed the two mugs in their places on the table this time without destroying it in the process.

"You're welcome. Can I get you anything else?" Koyuki asked relaxing her muscles.

"Not right at this moment thanks." Koyuki smiled turning around and heading back into the kitchen. She stopped near a stove when she felt her PDA vibrate in her pocket, instinct telling her to take it out. Her eyes lit up as soon as she realized it was from Yuzu informing her that she landed safely in England. Fingers swiftly moved in response along the buttons before the PDA was nowhere to be seen but a crack was heard. Mariko turned around and eyed Koyuki before walking away.

"Are you alright Koyuki?" A cook asked picking up her PDA from the tiled floor. Koyuki turned to the voice but looked down. It seems the impact caused her to lose her balance and both hands were still on a hot grill oddly enough not burning. She lifted her hands away and looked at her palms examining them for a scar blinking twice at them. The aroma of bacon radiated from her hands. The cook stood back up after grabbing the phone.

"I think so." She mumbled still looking at her palms.

"So you're saying you shook her hand. Did anything happen to her?" Tatara asked. Mikoto moved the cigarette in his mouth from one corner to the other.

"Not right away. She didn't burst into flames. Some burn some do the burning." Mikoto responded.

"Anna, can you see her? Is she okay?" Yata asked practically breathing down the little girl's neck.

"She's probably fine, Yata. Most likely she's at home in her summer clothes sweating it out." Kusanagi mentioned.

"She's there." Anna pointed to a map of the city that was sitting on the table. "At Blendz & Beanz."

"What's she doing?" Kamamoto asked.

"It looks like she works there but she's not controlling her red very well yet."

"Seems like she's doing the burning." Kusanagi said. "Oh boy… Yata, Kamamoto. Go see how she's doing, WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, bring her back here if you think it's necessary."

"She's just set fire to a pile of dirty dish rags." Anna stated.

"Hurry up guys." Kusanagi said and the guys rushed out the door.

Koyuki was outside for her break and as soon as she walked through the snow, she melted a pathway for herself. She sighed sliding down the side of the building looking at her PDA to respond to the newest messages from Yuzu. A picture was sent to her and she immediately opened it up. The picture illuminated above the phone in a holograph. That was England alright and right behind was the fascinating architecture of Oxford University. _Looks like she's doing alright,_ Koyuki thought. Fifteen minutes had passed then she head back inside. As she passed the laundry hamper, she noticed the smell of smoke in the air. _Burning food again?_ Koyuki assumed but once she looked inside the hamper of towels she noticed that it was half full of ash and instantly blamed herself after all of the other incidents that she experienced today. Sighing it off and walking back out to the floor two familiar faces walked past the first window of the café and into the door.

"Well if it isn't Koyuki." Kamamoto greeted. "I didn't know you worked here."

"I guess you never noticed me the last time you guys came here and caused a fight." Koyuki teased. Kamamoto scratched the back of his head.

"Oh yeah, right about that, sorry about your window."

"Looks like the window got fixed." Yata said to himself walking in a few feet behind his oversized buddy, like always he was with his typical skateboard. "How the hell did they manage to get that in so fast?"

"Hey, you remember Yata don't you?" Kamamoto said holding him in front to break the ice. Yata's face reddened and Koyuki chuckled a bit.

"It's nice to see that you're doing well." Yata's voice slowed and quieted.

"Yeah you look like you've gotten a lot better."

"I feel better thank you. Only thing is I've been really hot lately." She answered pressing her tray to her chest. Yata gulped.

"Ya don't say?" Smoke clouded the line of sight in between her and the two guys. Koyuki gasped dropping the tray on the ground. On the back of it had burn marks in the shape of her hands. All three of them watched as it spun around and fell into place.

"Looks like you've got it bad." Yata said.

"Excuse me?" Yata's eyes widened as he closed his mouth. "What do you mean have it bad?" Kamamoto eyed Yata.

"Come over to the bar later. I think Mikoto can help."

"Huh?" Koyuki was puzzled. How can someone possibly help her in this situation? More importantly, why were Kamamoto and Yata acting like they know something about this? Nonetheless Koyuki made up her mind that she would head on over to HOMRA after her shift though she doubted that anything would change. Maybe they can shed some light on the situation.

"Alright Tsukasa, you're too sick to work." Utaka marched up behind Koyuki causing her to jump. "That's the third thing you've burnt today. Go on home and get some rest." She was at a loss for words.

"So tell me why you think that Mikoto can help me?" Koyuki asked as she walked with Kamamoto and Yata down the street. Both Kamamoto and Yata were casually dressed down considering that there was a layer of snow on the ground and Koyuki carried her winter jacket around one of her arms.

"Well Mr. Mikoto has a lot of experiences with fire and pyrotechnicians. You can say that he has the gift of flame." Kamamoto laughed and Yata punched the side of his head. "Ouch."

"Dumbass. Mikoto knows his way around fire alright and he's gonna help you."

"O-oh… thank you." She hesitated. "You refer to him as Mr.?"

"Yeah some of us some of the time. It's out of respect." Yata explained keeping his eyes away from Koyuki. She looked behind them then ahead down the street.

"Isn't HOMRA the other direction?"

"Everyone's out at the park. They took Anna out and decided to have some fun in the snow. It won't be long before spring comes and melts it all."

"Hey look, it's Yata and Kamamoto." Tatara announced after throwing a snowball at Kusanagi.

"They brought a play mate too." Dewa joked before being pelted by Chitose. Koyuki's stomach turned seeing all of the boys look in her direction but it was a quick glance from most of them. Much to her surprise, all of them were dressed lightly in the cold. Tatara stopped what he was doing and walked up to the three of them.

"Good to see you again Koyuki. Glad you're doing fine." He said. Koyuki's cheeks flushed slightly while smiling.

"Yeah, thanks again." Koyuki thanked. Mikoto was lying partially buried under the snow as if he was starting to be buried in the sand eyes lazily closed and his arms rested behind his head. Whenever a snowball came close to him, he used his aura so that it wouldn't hit him.

"We were actually looking for Mr. Mikoto." Kamamoto explained.

"Seems like Anna was busy trying to hide him." Yata lightly noted while others laughed. "Hey, Mr. Mikoto, you've got a visitor." Koyuki's heart almost doubled in pace for a split second when Mikoto turned his head to hers with his amber eyes peering right at her. Something about his demeanor was very unsettling. She only exchanged a couple phrases to him and knew very little about him but how bad could a person be if they saved your life? Yata and Kamamoto walked her over to him and Mikoto broke through the mountain to stand up as soon as they approached. Anna began rebuilding the mountain without anyone underneath and Kamamoto decided to help her. Mikoto sighed as he brushed a hand through this messy red hair combing the snow through as he closed the distance between them. Koyuki blushed.

"Koyuki's got a little dilemma that I think may be right up your alley." Yata explained. Kusanagi dropped his snowball that he was about to through so that he could listen in on the conversation. Koyuki's toes curled in.

"I don't know how to explain this without it sounding crazy."

"Mikoto's heard a lot of crazy stuff so try him." Yata encouraged. Koyuki removed her cobalt eyes from Yata to look back at Mikoto.

"Um, I've been burning things recently… with my hands."

"Have you been hot a lot?" His low voice hummed.

"Yes." Koyuki responded. A snowball landed directly on Yata's face and the debris fell onto Koyuki. Yata looked over to a very guilty looking Kamamoto and took off after him for revenge leaving Koyuki alone with Mikoto. "It sounds really strange but I melted glass with just my hands while carrying it out to a couple customers." She stopped mid explanation her eyes following Mikoto as he bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful of snow and packed it into a ball. _This is hardly the time for a snowball fight._ Koyuki looked confused until he held out his hand with the ball in the middle.

"Hold out your hand." He said. Koyuki obliged and Mikoto placed the cool ball into her hot grip melting almost as soon as it made contact with her skin. He examined it as the melted snow dripped between the cracks of her fingers. Reaching into his leather jacket's pocket, Mikoto pulled out two simple leather gloves and placed them in her hands where the snowball had almost once been. "Put these on." He said before bending down to form another snowball. Koyuki tugged on the black leather gloves. These were for man sized hands and didn't fit properly on her skinny female fingers. Mikoto placed a freshly made snowball into her hands again this time nothing happened. The snowball remained in the palms of her hands not changing form but rather collecting new flakes from the light snow that was now falling from the sky. Koyuki's eyes widened.

"What? How?" She didn't pull her eyes off of her hands as she looked at the palms and the backs then remembered that Mikoto was still standing there. "Do I have to wear these all the time?"

"Like you, everyone here shares a similar gift with fire, the red aura, and has perfected its power. You're just going through the beginning phases of developing yourself. This is the most dangerous part for anyone with this gift that you can make or break."

"By break do you mean…"

"Yeah, it's a dangerous stage but once you overcome this you open up a new world on what you really may be capable of." Koyuki closed her eyes reflecting on how much her life will change now that she has this red aura. She debated whether or not she should grasp this gift or let it consume her and her loneliness. She wasn't sure how she could use her aura to her advantage other than burning someone to death but the reverse was clear, she wouldn't have to deal with people again. No more betrayals, no more sadness, no more hurt and no more fear and it could be put to an end in a matter of seconds but the curiosity of what she could achieve kept on tugging her farther across the line. A moment later and she decided.

"How do I control the aura?" She said looking up to Mikoto who started to smirk at her. Koyuki's doubts almost pulled her back but she had already asked for help.

"Join us at HOMRA and we can open up a whole new world for you."


	4. Chapter 4

A sweet sugary trail followed behind Koyuki that caught the attention of anyone who got into close proximity of her. They could see that she was carrying a bag and concluded that the smell was originating from inside of it. Since leaving the playground she faithfully worn the leather gloves that Mikoto gave her in fear of burning down her apartment building though she has taken them off and tested out her hands unsuccessfully picking up any type of item before it either vaporized or turned into a pile of ash although she kept them on at work and had no trouble with anything. It had been a week since she agreed to Mikoto to join HOMRA and decided to present the group with an offering. She had to admit to herself that she was nervous. Something about a group of guys that wielded the aura of fire wasn't very comforting to Koyuki but knowing that they also had Anna around means that they weren't all bad and that they had some sort of soft spot; they were human after all. Even though Anna seemed to always be around, they were still men that may or may not have one thing on her mind and being the young woman that she is seemed to raise a few red flags; nevertheless she ignored those thoughts and proceeded inside the doors of HOMRA bar. When the door opened it triggered a bell chime causing Kusanagi to look up with a friendly smile.

"Hey there, Koyuki, glad you could make it." He welcomed. Koyuki was surprised to see him smoking inside of his own bar.

"Thanks, I brought some sweets." She said shyly clutching the bag with both of her hands.

"Trying to impress everyone? You'll definitely fit in around here if you keep that up." Kusanagi chuckled and Koyuki blushed. Koyuki and Kusanagi's head turned when they heard footsteps running down the staircase at the end of the hallway seeing Tatara with a camera in hand.

"And here we have our newest recruit Koyuki Tsukasa on her first official day as a member of team HOMRA." Tatara commentated continuing to film walking closer to her. "Koyuki, have any words to share?"

"Oh- um… I-I brought some home baking." Koyuki brought the bag up to block her face from being in sight of the camera.

"And that's how you get on everyone's good side. Let's see what's inside." Tatara said taking the bag from Koyuki's hands and opened it up recording himself taking a container of baked goods out of the bag.

"Sorry, it's a new thing that he's been doing. He wants to save all of his memories." Kusanagi apologized. As Tatara opened the lid on the container, Mikoto came downstairs rubbing the back of his neck with Yata and Kamamoto following behind him.

"Hey." Kusanagi greeted his king.

"Hm, what's this?" Mikoto asked eyeing the container that was in Tatara's hands. He lifted the container up to meet the eyes of his leader.

"Hey king, look at this. Koyuki brought us a bunch of goodies. Go ahead and take the first one." Tatara smiled showing Mikoto what was inside the plastic container. Koyuki could sense Mikoto's eyes lighting up at the mention of food. He wasted no time reaching in pulling out some kind of cream square with a caramelized nut topping on it and began devouring it.

"Hey careful when you eat. I just cleaned the floor." Koyuki was surprised to hear Kusanagi talk to his 'king' that way but Mikoto seemed like he ignored him as he finished up the rest of the square. He swallowed the last bit then moaned with satisfaction.

"Is it that good Mikoto?" Kamamoto asked. Yata peeked over his shoulder.

"Fantastic." He said. Kamamoto aggressively asserted himself in front being the next one to try a sample then everyone else joined in but Koyuki. Mikoto even took a second one. Tatara took a giant bite still holding onto the container then held it out to Koyuki.

"Koyuki, aren't you going to have any?" He asked with his mouth full. She shook her head.

"No I made them for you guys. You all go ahead and enjoy."

"This is awfully nice of you."

"Save some for the rest of the guys." Kusanagi said.

"No way, they aren't here so they don't get any" said none other than the overweight member of HOMRA. Koyuki smiled as the boys finished off what was in their mouths all moaning in unison.

"This is the best addition to our team. Finally a cook and no more of Kusanagi's shit." Yata said. Kusanagi whipped a plastic glass hitting Yata directly in the head which Tatara caught on video then he got a shot of Koyuki again.

"Okay now that that's over with. I'm in charge of all of the new comers. You know everyone here already? There's Kusanagi owner of this bar, Yata, Kamamoto and none other than our king himself Mikoto." Tatara introduced zooming in on her face. Koyuki nervously shuffled her feet.

"Hey Tatara, put that thing away. Don't scare our new recruit." Kusanagi ordered. Tatara shut off the camera and put it on the counter.

"Sorry, I just wanted to get this as a keepsake. One day we're going to watch this and remember back to these days."

"I'm sorry." Koyuki apologized.

"One rule with hanging out with us at HOMRA is that you can't say I'm sorry. We just don't say that to each other here ya got that?" Yata said sounding bored.

"I'm sorry." Koyuki said again lowering her head and Yata sighed.

"As for our king, you address him as king or Mr. Mikoto unless you're Anna of course." Tatara said pointing with his thumb to the fiery red haired one. Mikoto paid no attention to that remark. "Another thing, HOMRA bar is open 4 pm to 12 am every day except Sundays. If you are coming to hang out here when the bar is closed there is a door in the back that has a number pad for us to use to get in. One of the rooms upstairs is the king's and you are not permitted to go in there unless he is in there with his door open or if you are directed to do so by your other clansmen…". Tatara continued as Koyuki tried to process all of the information that was given to her but she found it overwhelming on how many rules that there was especially for a group of guys. As Tatara went on explaining, the other guys in the room took a seat in their typical positions Mikoto's always being on the couch. Eventually a cell phone ring pulsed through the room disrupting the explanation and Mikoto pulled out a PDA out of his pocket.

"Yeah." He grunted. All of the guys stopped talking amongst themselves and focused on their king waiting for something that Koyuki hadn't been made aware of yet. Not even a minute later the king hung up and looked at his group. "They've got him." Was all he said then the chairs skidded against the floor as everyone got up and headed out the door. Koyuki looked around confused but Tatara stopped by the door frame and looked back.

"Come on Koyuki, we're gonna show you what HOMRA is all about." He gestured.

Have you ever had a 'what the hell is going' on kind of moments? Well, that is what was constantly on her mind like the idea was some kind of locked up animal that demanded to be free or demanded answers in this case but she just went with it. Everyone walked down to the downtown area of Shizume City where glass windows towered over the group and they stopped near a fire hydrant that a dark van was parked with curtains covering the back windows. Dewa and Bandou sat in the front driver's area with Kosuke at the wheel. The boys got out of the vehicle as soon as they seen their group coming.

"Hey." The boys greeted as Mikoto's group merged with theirs.

"Welcome aboard Koyuki." Dewa tipped his hat. Koyuki tried to smile but she was still without answers.

"Anna's located our target on the 16th floor." Kosuke explained to the group as they all walked to the back of the van. Kusanagi knocked on the back door before opening up letting out a cloud of cigarette smoke. Koyuki held her breath.

"Good work boys." Kusanagi praised. Inside the back of the van was set up with chairs and tables with laptops and other large electronic equipment with wires lying around everywhere. Operating the laptops were Eric, Chitose and Shouhei that were on some kind of hacking program and Anna was sitting on the floor watching Shouhei's screen.

"As soon as I input the password we have ten minutes without any alarms sounding off in the building on your signal." Shouhei informed.

"Alright, Shouhei you and Tatara are on laptop duty. Koyuki, you stay in the van with them and sit out on this first mission. Take notes though. I'll be down here with you three and Anna. Everyone else, take your ear pieces and follow Mikoto." Kusanagi ordered. Now Koyuki was really wondering what she got herself into. Were they doing a heist without her knowing? Her heart took up all of her feeling pounding in her chest. As the group moved out, Koyuki, Tatara and Anna climbed in the back of the van with Shouhei.

"Koyuki's first mission, huh. I remember my first mission, wasn't that long ago." Shouhei commented. Tatara logged onto the computer and went under the same program as Shouhei's computer.

"Ever since you joined Shouhei, our computer abilities have been better than ever." Tatara mentioned.

Mikoto and the rest of the gang casually walked through the main doors to the targeted building eyeing around the lobby for cameras. The floor echoed their footsteps as their heels made contact with the marbled tiles.

"Chitose, stay in the lobby near the elevators where I can see you from the glass doors in case I need you back on computers that way you can keep an eye out at the same time in case our target tries to escape. There is a stairwell to the left that you also need to be aware of." Kusanagi said through a microphone wired around the collar of his shirt. Chitose's nod was visible from the van.

"Kosuke, I want you on the rooftop level by the stairs. Watch out on the helipad. Our target does not have a registered helicopter pilot license but that's not to say that he won't try to fly one if he's being chased. Eric and Dewa will take position outside on the 16th level stairwell and elevator entrances. Bandou will take the outside door of where our target's office is located. Anna will let us know if he has left there before you all take your positions."

"Yata and Kamamoto, you're with me." Mikoto said in a low tone so that no one else will hear. "We're going to be giving a surprise." Yata smirked.

"We have a second get away van parked a block down to the east. In case of an emergency, anyone remaining will go to that van to get back to headquarters. Give the signal when your all in position and Shouhei will deactivate the alarms from there you have ten minutes of alarm silence. Use it wisely." Kusanagi finished. Koyuki's heart pounded against her rib cage as her toes curled and body clenching with anxiety. There was radio silence as they all waited for everyone to confirm their positions. Anna and Koyuki focused on Tatara's screen that had images of all the cameras in the building minus the blind rooftop. All were in position except Kosuke who was still riding the elevator to the top. Mikoto, Bandou, Yata and Kamamoto all waited outside the head office. A few minutes later, Kosuke was the last to give his ready signal. "Good, everyone's in position. Shouhei, deactivate the alarm."

"Alarm deactivated."

"Go you've got 10 minutes!" Kusanagi shouted over his microphone.

As soon as Kusanagi called the operation on, Mikoto kicked the double door open and walked into the room with both hands in his pockets. Koyuki and Anna crowded around Tatara's screen that had a clear image of the entire office room. An older man wearing a blue sports jacket and red striped tie turned around in his chair and stood up as soon as he seen the familiar angry faces. He reached underneath his desk to press a hidden button.

"That's cute but it won't work. Your alarms are disabled so no one can interrupt our little chat." Mikoto mocked.

"Why are we after this guy?" Koyuki asked.

"Hideki Minawa and HOMRA's ties go way back. He has been financially aiding us since the beginning but a few months ago he started stealing from us and selling us out to different coloured clans. Mikoto's objective is to make him give us back everything that he took and more before he cuts all ties. He's the one that helped Kusanagi when he bought the bar where we're located at. When Mikoto found out what Hideki had done, we had a hard time calming him down. He wanted to take down his whole enterprise. He's got a violent temper when stuff like this happens." Tatara answered.

Hideki backed up until he was stopped by a full wall window shaking in his boots. He pulled his tie loosening it so that he could breathe before he reached behind him and pulled out a 9mm automatic pistol. Koyuki gasped. This matter was much more serious than she had originally expected. Mikoto chuckled as he was being aimed at and responded by taking a few steps closer to the man cowering behind his desk. Hideki opened fire as soon as Mikoto stepped onto the carpet that was set underneath the desk. Koyuki closed her eyes as soon as she heard the first shot. Was he crazy? Why was everyone acting so calm? She opened her eyes surprised to hear Mikoto chuckle after receiving three rounds but what she saw surprised her even more. Pure red flames combusted around Mikoto's figure dissolving the bullets as soon as they made contact with his aura. As he stepped closer to Hideki, sparks of flames burst from every step he took. Above the building formed a giant floating sword that had a red jewel in the center protected by a gold swirl that molded together with the sword.

"What is that?" Koyuki asked looking up.

"That is Mikoto's Sword of Damocles. Whenever a king uses their power, that sword hovers around above their heads." Kusanagi explained. Koyuki gawked at the beauty of the exotic sword as it sparkled in the rays of sunlight.

"Come on now Mr. Minawa, you know that won't work." Yata challenged.

"I think you know why we're here." Mikoto started.

"Get out of my office now!" Hideki strained trying to sound like he wasn't at all intimidated.

"Not until you give us back everything that you took from us." Kamamoto replied. Hideki frowned as he lowered his gun. Yata walked up beside Mikoto right in front of the desk and looked down at the papers scattered across the surface.

"These look like pretty important documents. It'd be a shame if they where to burst into flames." He threatened picking up the pile.

"You idiot, don't you know that everything is on computers now? If you used you're head you'd—" Yata's hand engulfed itself in a red flame burning the papers so that there was no ashes floating to the ground. Hideki gasped after Yata called his bluff. Kamamoto walked up beside Mikoto and yanked the laptop out of its cords that was sitting idly on the desk. Hideki took a half a step towards Kamamoto but stopped as he was at a clear disadvantage.

"Five minutes." Kusanagi reminded. Koyuki's breath shortened just from watching the scene.

"Hideki Minawa, or should I say Glyph, return everything what is rightfully ours back to HOMRA, do that and I won't have to kill you."

"Is he serious?" Koyuki gasped falling onto her hands. She knew that this wasn't a good idea. This wasn't just a group of friends that hung around all the time, this was a gang. A violent group of young men that commits murderers and heists to get what they want. If anyone finds out that she was a part of this she would lose her job and get a criminal record. Finding a job with a criminal record will be that much harder and she did not need that in her life. In fact she may as well go live with her mother if that were to happen. She had to leave while she had the chance.

"Mikoto's smarter than that." Tatara said. Koyuki looked over at him. "Mikoto's objective is to get back what was stolen and expose Hideki for who he really is. If he were to kill him, then neither of those will be achieved." Koyuki began to understand and looked back on the screen.

"I really don't want to have to say this again." Mikoto sighed. Kamamoto lifted up the laptop and Yata readied his baseball bat. Hideki's stance shifted then Kamamoto pitched the laptop to Yata who swung his bat at it. Hideki yelled as he put his hands on his head after watching the bat make contact with his laptop.

"You bastards!" Hideki yelled. Yata swung his bat on the laptop over and over until it was reduced to garbage.

"Sixty seconds." Kusanagi shouted as he climbed in the back of the van and shut the doors. "Chitose, get back here into the driver's seat. Everyone else, get ready." Mikoto walked around the desk and Hideki lifted the gun back up. Ignoring the empty threat, Mikoto grabbed the thief by the neck and broke the window.

"No wait, you can't do this."

"Thirty seconds."

"You're not going anywhere until we have an agreement." Mikoto said. Kamamoto and Yata faced the door preparing to defend their king. Mikoto put his arm around Hideki's waist, faced the open window and leapt from the 16th floor.


	5. Chapter 5

"You're not going anywhere until we have an agreement." Mikoto said putting his arm around Hideki's waist, faced the open window and leapt from the 16th floor. Koyuki was the only one who gasped. Chitose made his way into the driver's seat and started up the van.

"Everybody brace yourselves and get out of the building. We've captured our target." Mikoto landed on his feet and dashed to the van putting their hostage in between Chitose and him. Kosuke jumped from the top of the building and landed on top of another then made his way down to the second van.

"Kosuke here, I'm in the drivers' seat of the other van, just waiting for Yata, Kamamoto, Dewa, Eric and Bandou."

"I'm just going through some drawers. I'll be down in a minute." Yata said.

"Hurry up Yata, we can't hold these guys off forever." Dewa said as he and Eric brawled with four security guards. Bandou left the office door to aid his nearby comrades.

"Got it, alright everybody into the office and out the window. It's time we made our getaway." Yata instructed.

"Kamamoto out." Kamamoto shouted before he leapt out of the building. Yata stayed behind and aided the others in their fight then they all jumped out of the window and made a run around the block to their getaway vehicle. "Bout time."

"Alright everyone's in! Step on it!" Yata ordered and Kosuke spent no time hesitating.

This whole ordeal pumped adrenaline through Koyuki's veins like a poison from the moment she arrived at the target's building to where they drove after abducting Hideki Minawa, it never really stopped. She did not know what she had gotten herself into and felt like she needed to turn herself in and beg for forgiveness. If she knew that these guys were a bunch of thugs, she wouldn't have joined up with them. And then there was Anna, such a young girl participating in these activities. Did her parent's know who she was with? Koyuki was lost in thought in the back of the van as it drove to an abandoned warehouse where they would store Hideki. Tatara tilted his head to the side.

"Hey Koyuki, how was your first mission?" Koyuki snapped back to reality after hearing her name quickly thinking of something to say that wouldn't get her in trouble.

"It was interesting. I didn't know that you guys did this."

"Only when necessary. Normally we just hang out and have a good time together. I don't really like doing this stuff myself. I'm not into the whole violence thing myself but I do what I can." Koyuki looked over at Anna who was wiggling her feet to the sides off in her own fantasyland.

"What is Mr. Mikoto going to do with him?"

"He'll probably pass him off to me 'cause that's what Mikoto does unless I can't crack him then he'll give it a go." Kusanagi explained. "Negotiation won't work on the guy but maybe we can come to some sort of understanding before I need to kick it up a notch."

"What happens when he gives you your money back?"

"That would be up to Mikoto. He's going to have to silence him eventually. He always does what's best for his clansmen." Koyuki's heart skipped a beat. Now she has to witness a murder that will forever change her life. She will have to live with the burden of guilt that she observed a murder and did nothing to stop it, even if she wasn't around for the murder she still would feel as if it was her fault because she knew that it would come to it. Koyuki squeezed her eyes not being able to stand the thought of it. Suddenly the van came to a stop.

"Alright, this is my stop. Chitose will take you guys back to the bar. Mikoto and I will join you after we've taken care of business." Kusanagi said before opening up the back van door. Hideki struggled to get away and had been gagged to prevent him from shouting. Koyuki's hands formed a fist and her lip tightened as she tried to take her mind off of what she knew was going on. It felt like it took forever for the van to drive away from the warehouse and get back to HOMRA bar.

As soon as they arrived at HOMRA everyone got out of the van and some of the boys head home. Koyuki distanced herself from everyone as soon as she had the chance but she hung around upstairs waiting for Mikoto's return. She was terrified and her mind was made up that she couldn't be a part of the clan anymore. Knowing what everyone was and what they did was something that she didn't need in her life. Living the 'thug life' would draw unwanted attention to her and she had spent so much of her life already trying to remove the stereotype that she had been given because of her mother. She joined because she needed help controlling her aura and Mikoto did just that by giving her gloves but if she leaves now she won't be able to remove those gloves and use her hands like she normally would. Koyuki put her hands on the back of her neck and her head in between her knees. But if she tries to leave, would they have to silence her too? What to do.

A few hours later, Mikoto made it back though Koyuki was still upstairs. After he affirmed what had happened while he and Kusanagi were dealing with Minawa, Mikoto tiredly went upstairs and headed to his room. Instantly, Koyuki knew that he was back and could tell that he was tired the way he dragged his feet along the wood flooring and dropped his legs down as he climbed the stairs. His chain that attached from the two belt loops on his left side wasn't clanking like it normally was when he walked which made her wonder if she should come back another time to let him know or if she should even come back at all. Curiosity was eating her up wondering the fate that was chosen for the hostage. Heat burst in her chest upon seeing the red hair pass through the room in the hallway. She had to admit to herself that she was frightened of the man. There was an aura of mystery shrouding him that gave him the impression of being cold and distant, after seeing the events of the day Koyuki knew that he was beyond dangerous, she didn't know if she wanted to serve someone like that. She cleared her thoughts and decided to go home and never come back again.

"Hey." Mikoto's voice called stopping her from sneaking down the hallway. Koyuki was forced to look back at him and noticed how tired he looked. He always looked tired from the few times that she had seen him but this was exceptionally tired. "How was it for you today?" Koyuki struggled for words. Should she tell the truth of lie? His amber eyes focused on her.

"It was… shocking." Was all she said. A short chuckle escaped Mikoto's lips.

"Yeah, it often is for first timers. It's something that's gotta be done sometimes." It's gotta be done? Abducting and killing someone? Koyuki didn't know exactly what happened in their pasts but killing someone is no way to fix everything that happened. It must have been a huge sum of money for the clan to abduct and kill him over. "You don't agree?"

"No I don't. I don't really understand how much he took from you but even if he took everything from you it still doesn't justify killing him. I'm sure he had his selfish reasons but there are other ways to get what you want like going to the police and letting them take care of it. Taking a life is not the answer." Koyuki ranted. Mikoto put one hand in his pocket and ran the other through his messy red hair and sighed. "Please tell me you didn't kill him."

"I don't expect you to understand having just joined HOMRA but this is a serious matter. If we let it go on, Kusanagi could lose this place and HOMRA may not even be." Mikoto stopped. "I didn't kill him."

"Thank you. Please keep it that way." She begged. Mikoto didn't say anything.

"I never got to thank you this morning for your home baking. You've got skill I'll give you that." Koyuki relaxed as the subject had changed to a much lighter note.

"I'm glad you liked them so much. I love to bake but I don't have anyone to bake for."

"You've got a lot of fans here. I'd take some of your baking anytime." Mikoto informed which really shocked Koyuki. She hadn't expected him to open up like that.

"I should probably go. You look like you need to relax." Koyuki said.

"Actually I was going to head out as well. I'll walk you home." He mentioned. Koyuki blushed not being able to decline. The bar was completely empty except for Kusanagi whom was behind the counter stocking the shelves with various alcohols. They both said their goodbyes then Koyuki left with Mikoto who was holding the front door open for her.

"I didn't think that it was this late out, it's almost dark." She noted the absence of people around.

"Hm?"

"Oh, nothing. I just lost track of the time is all." She smiled clutching onto her bag that had once been filled with assorted sweets. Mikoto didn't say anything instead he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and grabbed onto one pulling it out with his mouth. She peered over to him a little disgusted at the fact that he smoked. He snapped his fingers against his cigarette causing a spark that lit the end of the roll. Koyuki was amazed at what she had just witnessed. That must be because of his aura. She got a bit giddy thinking of the powers that she could possess but soon looked down at the moving pavement and was silent for a few moments.

"Um, what is HOMRA exactly?" She asked.

"The Red Clan is the official title of HOMRA. Not many people know this but there are seven different clans all given a colour based on their aura. All clans have a king that was given their power by a slate called the Dresden Slate." He spoke through his cigarette.

"Is Scepter 4 a clan? Many of them wearing the same uniform like to come where I work at the café."

"The Blue Clan, lead by the blue king Reisi Munakata, act like the police force and locate individuals with special gifts known as Strains that don't belong to a clan."

"What kind of gifts?"

"Each Strain has their own unique ability. Some can change the arrangement of the physical world around them others can track people." Koyuki wondered why she didn't know any of this. People apart of clans were obviously very good at lying low from the public probably not to panic civilians.

"Is there any conflict between clans?"

"Not often. I just keep out of everyone's business and let other clans deal with their own problems. It's really none of my concern as long as they don't bring HOMRA into it."

"Everyone at HOMRA seems to respect you as their leader. I guess that means everyone likes you." Koyuki suddenly felt stupid for what she said. A blush crept across her cheeks. Mikoto didn't say anything instead he smirked while taking the cigarette out of his mouth. The rest of the walk to Koyuki's apartment she reflected on her last comment and how stupid she must look to Mikoto. She slowed to a stop looking at the door to her apartment building and he stopped right beside her. "I'm sorry," she began. "Everyone at HOMRA seems really nice but I don't think I will fit in there." Koyuki looked up to him through the puffs of his smoke. "I feel really guilty about what happened today. I'm really sorry." She bowed. "Thank you for your company tonight. Please take care of yourself."

"Sure." Mikoto nodded in response. "If you have any second thoughts, you know where we are." Koyuki thought he was unfazed that she declined staying in the clan but bowed one last time before going through the double doors. Relief washed over her as soon as she got into the elevator and the metal gates closed blocking any eye contact they could make. She leaned back and rested her head against the wall waiting for the painfully slow elevator to make it to the fourth floor.

When the metal doors reopened she made her way to her flat in room 239. As soon as she kicked her shoes off, a dinging sound echoed through her apartment that was coming from a nano projection screen in the living area and as soon as she looked at it her face was painted with disgust from who had called her eight times since she had been home last. Koyuki dared to delete all messages left from her sorry excuse from her mother figuring that she was just asking for money so that she can go get wasted with. Every so often her mother seemed to fall off of the face of the earth and would finally call after months or the longest she's been gone was a year and a half only to drag her into a situation she couldn't get out of. She would only call when she needed help. That's the kind of mother she is. Koyuki hadn't seen her for a year but the last time she called was three months ago of course asking for money or a place to stay for a while. She had grown smarter than to let her stay in the same island as her. Growing up at a very young age was difficult as she lived with her mother and her father was nowhere to be found. She was happy to finally have some freedom from her past.


	6. Chapter 6

Another day at work and Koyuki's mind was everywhere but. Guilt never left her since the abduction with HOMRA and there was no convincing her that it wasn't her fault. She knew something about it therefore she wasn't innocent. It had been just over a week since that little excursion and there have been reports all over the news of Hideki Minawa's disappearance and the abduction was caught on tape but the quality wasn't good enough to make out who was behind it since Shouhei had access to the camera's all around the block and tampered with it just enough. Koyuki wondered what Mikoto did to him and if he was still alive since when she had first asked him. Scepter 4 was already looking into everything. Koyuki heard a few of the members talk about the case when they were in last which didn't help at all with easing the guilt she felt.

Koyuki tugged on the frills of her black skirt. They hadn't come in yet today. It would be nice to go her whole shift without seeing them. Every time they came in she tried to hide in the kitchen as much as possible. She lost a few tips because she wasn't on the floor when her guests needed her but the fear of coming into contact with Scepter 4 started to mentally corrupt her. It gave her the feeling that everyone was watching her. Paranoia grabbed her throat beginning to choke the life out of her making her gradually lose all feeling of her limbs. Blood pumped through her ears a deafening explosion every thump her heart made. The hands over her ears did not muffle but rather accentuated the percussion.

"Koyuki, you've got tables to serve."

"Wha-"

"I said you've got tables to serve." Hiroshi reminded.

"I'm sorry." Koyuki mumbled.

"Are you alright? You've been pretty weird since you got sick."

"Yes, I'm fine thank you." Koyuki said before turning around to visit her tables.

"Hey cool tattoo. When did you get that?" Hiroshi asked. Koyuki was puzzled. Was he talking to her or did someone else walk into the room?

"What tattoo?"

"The one on the back of your neck. If you don't remember getting it, you must have been pretty drunk not to remember that." Hiroshi commented before heading out the doors. Koyuki placed a hand on the back of her neck then dashed to the ladies washroom. She never got a tattoo in her life. This must be some kind of mistake. Koyuki rammed the washroom door open stopping right in front of a mirror, turned around and tried to stare at the back of her neck. No use, the angle wasn't good enough no matter which way she stretched her skin or pulled her hair, she needed a second mirror. With heart aflutter, Koyuki by passed the table she was supposed to serve to get to her purse.

"Can we get some service over here?" The guest called. Koyuki was too panicked to hear anyone else speak to her; she just focused on getting a mirror. Of all the times she went digging for her mirror it was nowhere to be found so she dumped everything out onto a nearby table in the locker room and began frantically searching for it in the pile of junk. Lip gloss, breath mints, body mist, face powder, feminine hygiene products, pens, PDA, candy, old receipts everything but the mirror that she was looking for so instead she improvised and grabbed her PDA before cleaning her stuff up and running back to the washroom. She held up her PDA and looked through it at the mirror seeing the back of her neck.

"What the heck?" Koyuki shouted almost dropping her PDA. Looking closer at it, it was a red swirl with squiggles coming away from it. She didn't know what it meant and knew that she was never drunk enough to not remember getting a tattoo. Maybe the guys at HOMRA drew on her with felt when Mikoto first brought her in. No, it couldn't be. If it were felt, it would have smudged or faded completely by now, it had been weeks since then. There's no way that this is an ordinary tattoo. Maybe it had something to do with her aura. Maybe it really was nothing worth freaking out about. No matter what, she couldn't go back to HOMRA; she said she would never go back there. Everyone there seems nice but after what she witnessed, that kind of life was not desirable. Finally she had calmed down enough to get back to work. Koyuki loosened the hair in her ponytail to cover up the tattoo then went out.

When Koyuki finally came out of the washroom, she noticed a lady dressed in uniform standing by the front doors talking to Utaka. Her eyes narrowed to the lady's gigantic breasts. She wore the same uniform as the others in Scepter 4 except she wore a mini skirt that had coat tails draped over top on either side of her hips falling down to her mid thighs. Her blonde hair was tied up in twin buns with strands of hair coming out over the tops and was secured by a hair ornament in the back connecting the two buns. Utaka and the lady turned to Koyuki when she came out of the washroom.

"Ah, Koyuki, there you are." Utaka began. "You have a visitor." _Oh no they've come for me._ Koyuki thought.

"Koyuki Tsukasa? I'm Seri Awashima, lieutenant of Scepter 4. I have a few questions for you." _Why now? Why does it have to be now while I'm at work? I'm going to get fired for sure!_ "Is there someplace we can sit down?" She asked Utaka.

"Yes, why don't you two have this conversation in my office?" Utaka mentioned directing Seri and Koyuki behind the counter. They followed him through the kitchen past the time clock into a room with a single desk with computer on it, books and papers piled everywhere. Seri took the authoritative computer chair leaving Koyuki to sit in a junky plastic chair that was in the corner beside a black filing cabinet. Utaka closed the door behind him as he left.

"I have been given a report from your boss noticing strange behaviors lately." _Here it comes_. "He tells me that you've been sick a while back and ever since then you've been off. Is it true that you have been melting objects or burning them since your sickness?" Seri asked in a firm tone. Koyuki's toes curled inside her work shoes which the lieutenant made note of. Her eyes fiercely examined her every move, twitch and breathe as if she were under some sort of polygraph. Koyuki knew that this was not going to be an easy conversation.

"Yes." She answered in almost a whisper.

"Have you been experiencing high body heat hotter than a fever, if so, have they been every now and then or a continuous heat?"

"Yes, a constant heat. I sweat almost all the time and wear my summer clothes whenever I'm not at work."

"I see. Have you done anything different or experienced anything out of the ordinary before experiencing these effects?" Koyuki shook her head.

"Have you met anyone new or strange with or without the same abilities as yours?" Koyuki almost jumped out of her chair. Now she was getting serious. It was a matter of time before she gets linked to the abduction. Should she tell the truth?

"I-I have met people but nobody strange." She lied thinking of when she was found and brought into HOMRA. That was the start of everything. They all had the red aura which she shared with them.

"Have you ever been a part of or acted part of a clan of any kind?" This was the big question. She could tell the truth, get fired, imprisoned and possibly be branded for the rest of her life as an outlaw. Though if she lies she _could_ be caught and be given the same fate. Koyuki looked at the clock above the door and watched the second hand tick by. There are cameras everywhere at the abduction site she's sure to be seen walking up to the van and getting in though she never got out until after they drove away. If Hideki is ever found dead, they could point the fingers at her for the torture since there wasn't enough evidence to prove she was part of the abduction. Koyuki's heart pounded in her ears. She had to say something, the longer she left it the more suspicious it would seem. It probably is too long already to be believable but she had to say something.

"No." Koyuki said squeezing her toes.

"I see." Seri said leaning back into the chair. Koyuki was so busy panicking she had not realized how far Seri had leaned into her. "That is all of the questions I have for you today. Thank you for your time." The lieutenant got up and walked out of the office leaving Koyuki still sitting there. _What just happened? Am I free? No, she probably caught on to that lie and is calling her superior to watch me. As long as I don't go back to HOMRA I should be okay._

Seri wasted no time after the questioning to go outside and call her superior with her PDA. "Munakata? Lieutenant Awashima. She is not currently with any clan and does not appear to have any tattoos visible on her body. She could be a rouge acting alone from her clan or is a strain either way she poses a high threat." She reported. "Your orders sir? Got it."

Koyuki returned to work almost relieved that the questioning was over with but a new burden was added. They will be watching her. The only problem is that some of the guys from HOMRA knows where she works and if they decide to pay her a visit then there will be question on their relations, and Mikoto knows the apartment she lives in. It's them visiting her at work that she should worry about.

"IN OTHER NEWS, HIDEKI MINAWA, PRESIDENT OF MINAWA INDUSTRIES HAS FINALLY BEEN FOUND." Koyuki's head snapped to the TV. _They let him go?_ The TV showed him being rolled into an ambulance by stretcher all battered up like he had been tortured. There were wrappings around his entire head so his face could not be seen. "LOCALS FOUND MINAWA ALIVE UNDER A BRIDGE WITH MANY WOUNDS COVERING HIS BODY AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS ON HIS HEAD AND FACE." _Mikoto…_ "MINAWA IS TOO IN SHOCK TO SPEAK BUT DOCTORS SAY THAT HE WILL MAKE A RECOVERY. MINAWA IS UNDER THE CARE OF SHIZUME CITY HOSPITAL AND SCEPTER 4 IS LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE COME FORWARD." Koyuki's eyes widened, surprised that Mikoto listened to her. Hideki was alive. She wondered how he was convinced by Mikoto to keep quiet, unless he knocked him out so hard that he won't remember a thing. Mikoto must have gotten what he wanted if he just dumped him alive. That proves that Seri Awashima was here to question her. Scepter 4 knows something of her involvement and they are pursuing the leads. Koyuki prayed that the boys from HOMRA wouldn't stop by and ask why she wasn't around. With her being watched they will know that she lied about being in the Red Clan then they will bring her in for interrogation. There goes her whole future.

Koyuki screamed from a sudden grip on her shoulder. Mariko frowned at her then pulled her by her clothes into the back room where the time clock was and threw her into the concrete wall head first. Koyuki stayed sitting on the ground. _Not now, please not now._ Mariko's hands practically dug into her hips.

"What did I tell you about me having to cover for you?"

"I'm sorry I was-"

"I have my own tables to serve. Your guests needed you and you were never around. You're never going to get anywhere in life by getting others to do your work."

"But I-" Koyuki was cut off by Mariko's palm striking her cheek.

"I'm not done talking." She pressed her own hand on where she had just been struck squeezing her eyes shut head still cocked to the side. _Be strong Koyuki, don't show her any tears. Don't give her the satisfaction of seeing you cry._ "The other girls think so too. They all are wondering why the hell you're still working here." _That's a lie she's just lying. I've been employee of the month for the last three months. I'm nice to everyone and I do more than my share. Stay strong. It will be over soon. "_ You obviously don't do anything good after work. You're probably just sleeping around."

"Don't say it!" Koyuki shouted with a plea tears starting to squeeze through the corners of her eyes. Mariko's face darkened with a smile and her voice lowered.

"You're probably sleeping around with guys."

"Stop it!" She begged.

"Like mother like daughter."

"I said stop!"

"You're getting paid by guys so you don't have to work hard here."

"Please stop!" _Stay strong._

"Just like mommy."

"No!" _Don't let her get to you!_

"Just like your…"

"No!" _Don't break now!_

"…prostitute mommy."

"SHUT UP!" Koyuki charged at Mariko. Everything seemed to be still in the moment except for her. She threw her hands against Mariko's collar bone to heave her as far as she could. Fire swirled around her hands just before the impact. Her hands slowly made contact with her bones once they touched…

It was cold and very drafty.

Koyuki was unsure what just happed but she stood in an unfamiliar kitchen that was dirty and grimy. The tiled floors grout had been stained yellow and orange in various places, the white fridge had many dirty fingerprints on the handle; food had been left out on the counter and had been rotting. A knife had been left out on the counter rusting with blood. A woman was weeping with one hand on the counter and one over her eyes.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" A little girl, about five years old, with brown hair and brown eyes asked clutching a panda bear in one hand.

"It's your father…"

Visions morphed into a small bathroom which contained a standalone sink with a toilet next to it and a tub next to the toilet. The walls were covered with stained wallpaper and the floors with a mouldy tile. Everything reeked of rot, rotting wood, rotting tile even rotting corpse. The bathtub had that same woman inside filled with red tinted water. Blood was on the faucet and on the edge of the tub trickling down to the floor. The woman's eyes were empty and her wrists were slit. That same girl only a few years older stood in the room crying with her arm covering across her eyes.

"Why?" The girl murmured.

Suddenly everything went black. All of Koyuki's senses were useless until voices could be heard.

"Hey there, are you free to come over tonight? I've gotten paid so I can pay you back for the last time." A grown male's voice echoed. A female's voice was heard next but it sounded as if it came through a phone.

"I would but I can't find anyone to watch my daughter."

"Bring her along. I'm sure Mariko would love to play with her.

"Okay, any toys I should bring?"

"The usual, you know what I like."

A door opened revealing Mariko standing in front of her father. Mariko was about nine years old at this time. She stared blankly at the people before her.

"Mariko, sweetie, this is Koyuki and her mother. Koyuki is going to play with you today. A young Koyuki smiled sweetly at her new friend.

 _No way, I forgot about that. That was this Mariko?_

"You two go play. The adults will be talking in another room." The male said.

"I'm hungry." Koyuki said lying on her stomach on the living room floor.

"Me too, I'll go ask if we can have a snack." Mariko said getting up. She walked over to the closed door that lead to her father's room.

Upon opening the door, Mariko gasped. Her father was naked under the sheets with Koyuki's mom. The female bent down with her breasts pressed against her father's chest planting a kiss on his neck.

"That was great." He said. "You really are good at what you do." She chuckled.

"Did you know that today marks our seven year anniversary?" She questioned.

"Already?"

"That's right. Today marks the seven years that you have been my client."

Mariko eyes darkened. It was her all along. She was the reason why her mother suffered for so many years. She was the reason why her mother died and now she was playing with her daughter. If that woman was never in her father's life then she wouldn't have to go through seeing her mother go through such turmoil. That girl will grow up to be just like her mother and will ruin another child's life. She deserves to die before that ever happens. "If I ever see Koyuki or her mother again, I'll make sure their lives are a living hell."


	7. Chapter 7

The room engulfed in flames like a bomb went off. Mariko broke through the wall behind her spreading the flames to the next room like wild fire with the shrill of the fire alarm echoing through the corridor. Koyuki stood there blankly as boards from the ceiling broke down around the room. Fire burned everything around her yet it did not touch her, it all burned away from her body blazing through the walls and soon enough the whole café was engulfed in a deadly flame.

Everything was red.

Koyuki looked through her fringe seeing Mariko lying unconscious in the other room with debris on top of her. Suddenly it hit her that this was all her fault. She crouched on the spot with her hands on her head clenching her teeth. _No, no this isn't happening. I wore the gloves._ Koyuki opened her eyes and gasped. _I'm not burning._ She glanced at Mariko ahead of her then ran over to her to get her out of the ceiling debris.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Mariko." Koyuki yelled above the fire alarm trying to lift a metal beam. "Come on, where's your crazy strength when you need it?"

"Koyuki! Mariko!" A voice called out above the roar of the flame. Utaka came crawling around a corner on all fours.

"Utaka! Help, Mariko's stuck."

"Dammit. The fire dept is on their way." Utaka moved over to the two girls and tried to lift the metal off of Mariko. "There we go, almost there… Got it." Utaka huffed after throwing the beam aside and wiped his brow while looking over to Koyuki. "Hey, how come you're not out of breath? Don't you find it hard to breathe with all of this smoke everywhere?" Koyuki couldn't hear the remark as the roar of the flames grew stronger with each passing second. She wasted no time putting Mariko's arm around the back side of her neck and began to slide her body with her to drag her to safety.

"Where's a way out?" Koyuki shouted.

"The front door is blocked; we'll have to find another way." Utaka followed Koyuki. "Seriously, how aren't you sweating from all of this?"

"I don't know but nows not the time." All of a sudden a pounding noise was heard over the noise of everything around them. They looked to the side and seen an axe break its way through the wall. Eventually the hole grew big enough for someone to crawl through then a couple firefighters came through. One appeared to be coming towards the three and the other one stayed by the exit to secure the newly formed hole for escape.

"Is anyone in here?" They called out. Upon spotting the three, the fighter rushed over to help. "How is she?" The male voice behind the mask asked taking Mariko from Koyuki.

"She's unconscious. She was knocked out before the fire spread." Koyuki informed.

"Is there anyone else?" Utaka asked.

"Everyone else seems to have escaped already. There are ambulances waiting outside. We'll get her to the hospital and you guys checked up."

Eventually, everyone made it outside in one piece. Mariko was immediately put on a stretcher and hooked up to a pure oxygen tank and lifted to the hospital. Everyone else was given the necessary treatment and gave their testimony on what happened leading up to the event of the fire so that the investigators of Scepter 4 could determine the cause of the fire and catch whoever started it if need be. As Koyuki was getting checked over by a medic she couldn't help but feel guilty for what just happened but she was more confused on what she just witnessed with Mariko. Now that she thought about it, she remembers meeting a Mariko as a child for one day. For some reason she was cold to her about an hour after they met, that must have been her past. That must be the reason why Mariko hated her so much. Koyuki's mother destroyed her parent's relationship. Mariko hated her mother but she could not express that hatred towards her because she was a hard person to come by. But Koyuki on the other hand… was easy access and almost a spitting image of her mother but in a much healthier state. Everything made sense.

Koyuki's eyes closed and tears escaped from the corners.

Poor Mariko, she must have been so traumatized to see her mother suffer the way she did and to walk in on her suicide. That image must continue to haunt her to this very day. Growing up then losing a mother is something Koyuki did not wish on anyone. If only, Koyuki's mother didn't live that kind of life then Mariko could have grown up a normal child with both of her parents.

Koyuki wiped the tears away from her now stained eyes and sniffed. Now what would she do? Her plans to go to university had been canceled with her best friend Yuzu moving away to England, now she didn't have a job and Scepter 4 had their eyes on her. Maybe Mariko was right, maybe her life should end.

"Hey Koyuki!" Koyuki lifted her head seeing three familiar faces she hoped to never be associated with again. This was the worst possible timing. Tatara, Shouhei and Bandou ran over to her in front of the remains of the café. "Koyuki are you alright?"

"Wh-what are you guys doing here?" She asked horrified.

"We're the fire fighters." Bandou smirked. Tatara smacked the back of his head.

"Quit trying to be cool at a time like this." Shouhei ordered.

"Our comrade has just been through a traumatic experience."

"I-I don't understand. I wore the gloves. This shouldn't have happened." Koyuki spoke gripping her opposite arms as she shook.

"You must have been pretty angry in order to do that kind of damage, even with those gloves on." Tatara stated. Koyuki started to cry again. Shouhei and Bandou panicked seeing the tears coming from her eyes but Tatara reacted calmly.

"Come on, this isn't the worst thing that could happen." Tatara consoled while placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, it's not like you acted alone and went to take on a mob all by yourself and your best friend had to come bail you out. You just haven't grasped what you can do yet." Bandou said patting his buddy Shouhei on the back.

"Not this again. I said I was sorry." Shouhei said quietly with sweat dropping.

"Lets you back to HOMRA, maybe we can get Kusanagi to help you out until you find another job." Tatara suggested. Koyuki lifted her head back up and sniffed. She knew that this was a bad idea but she didn't know what else to do so she went along with it.

Back at HOMRA bar again, Koyuki was very nervous and hoped that nobody would be there except Kusanagi. Relief washed over her to find out that it was just Kusanagi and Anna who was busy drawing on a table across the room facing the door. Kusanagi looked up through his glasses and smiled upon seeing Koyuki come through.

"Ah, Koyuki. It's been a while." He gave a friendly wave. Koyuki nervously looked back at him.

"Kusanagi, Koyuki's got big trouble." Tatara started.

"What happened?"

"Uh…" She hesitated.

"Turn on the news and you'll see." Shouhei said.

"I don't like the sound of this." Kusanagi groaned as he flicked on the screen that dropped down from an opening in the ceiling. Koyuki squeezed her eyes shut upon seeing the images of the café burning.

"AN EXPLOSION WENT OFF IN BLENDZ & BEANZ CAUSING THE INSIDES TO BE BURNED NEARLY TO THE GROUND."

"Oh my gosh…" Kusanagi whispered slowly.

"SCEPTER 4 MEMBERS ARE BUSY TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE BUT SAY THAT IT WAS BURNED SO BAD THAT THE REASON IS INCONCLUSIVE. EVERYONE HAS MADE IT OUT SAFELY AND THERE ARE NO CASUALITIES HOWEVER A SERVER WAS LIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL WHOM FELL UNCONCIOUS AFTER BEING HIT IN THE HEAD FROM FALLING WRECKAGE." Kusanagi turned off the TV and looked down before spinning around to the group.

"You really did that?" He asked after a while. Koyuki nodded tears reappearing in her eyes and was surprised as short chuckle came out of his lips. "You've got power alright. Lucky for you that you burned the place so bad that there's no way it's going to trace back to you and that means there's no mess for us to clean up. That also means that we've gotta help you control it. If you use too much power it can consume you." Koyuki felt her face contort.

"I told her that you could possibly help her out until she gets back on her feet." Tatara mentioned with a smile on his face.

"It's obvious that you're out of a job. I think I can arrange something." Kusanagi said with a reassuring smirk.

"Really, like what do you have in mind?" Koyuki asked.

"How about… you help me out around the bar, bake some of your famous goods and I'll sell them to customers that come in and I'll make sure that you don't lose your apartment room and have enough to live off of. That's full time of course."

"One problem, I was put into questioning with Scepter 4 today and work and I have a bad feeling that I'm going to be watched by them." She said.

"Oh really? What did they ask?"

"They asked if I've experienced high body heat and if I've met strange people recently. They even asked me if I was a part of a clan."

"And what did you say?"

"I said I have been experiencing high body heat but I haven't met anyone recently. Why do you think they're asking me these questions?"

"Probably to find out more of your powers. Scepter 4 keeps tabs on people with powers that aren't a part of a clan. Telling them you weren't with a clan in this situation was a bad idea.

"Earlier today one of my coworkers told me of this." Koyuki said turning around and lifting up the loose hair that was braided into her side ponytail revealing that strange tattoo. She dropped her hair and turned back around. "I'm positive that I did not get that done and I don't know how it got there."

"Hm, that is a crest, a symbol of your fire based power and loyalty to the red clan. That formed on you as soon as you received your powers."

"Where's Mikoto? Shouldn't he hear all of this?" Shouhei asked. Kusanagi shook his head.

"Mikoto's in a bad moon today. I would stay away if I were you." He warned.

"I'll see if I can talk to him." Tatara thought out loud before turning around and going up stairs into possibly hell itself. Koyuki's stomach did a flip as she remembered the time Tatara said Mikoto had a violent temper, not something she wanted to experience a second time after seeing Minawa's burns. He must do this regularly for him to react the way that he did.

"Is he okay?" Koyuki squeaked with her face screaming shyness. Even if he was a violent tempered person and made her feel like she was walking on eggshells whenever she was around him, she still felt she owed him so much for helping her out… twice.

"He will be. Tatara's usually pretty good at calming him down a bit. Maybe he'll be down here tonight or he'll wake up in a better mood." Kusanagi switched gears. "Anyway, as far as Scepter 4, don't worry about them. We've got connections and we'll see what they want and get that taken care of. We'll tell them you're with us and that should take care of it, if not I'll use what resources I have. What do you say?" This was the first good knows that she had heard in a while, even if she wasn't completely sure about Scepter 4's goals but Kusanagi was the kind of person that when he promises someone, he makes it so believable that you can't resist, a man truly skilled with negotiations. Koyuki smiled feeling that everything would be okay.

"I will. Thank you so much." She thanked practically leaping into his arms which caught him off guard. It took a couple seconds for him to react but then he smiled and returned the gesture.

The bell above the door chimed as it opened. As soon as Yata walked through, his face reddened and he froze seeing the two hugging. Chitose came in behind him and smirked with a short laugh. Koyuki pulled away and the two looked at the other two. Her face imitated Yata's.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Chitose purred crossing his arms over his chest.

"Koyuki?! And Kusanagi?!" Yata shouted. Bando and Shouhei's laughter was heard across the room. Yata looked between all of them. "Wait, I'm missing something here right? Tell me I'm missing something!"

"And here I was the one who was given the hands off lecture, what a hypocrite." Chitose mentioned shaking his head.

"I'm sorry." Koyuki said to Kusanagi taking a step away from him.

"Relax Yata, it's not what you think. I've just hired a cook is all." Kusanagi acted calmly. Chitose seemed a little disappointed. Anna laughed quietly from the table she was colouring on.

"Bahaha! You should have seen the look on your faces." Bandou threw his head back in laughter and Shouhei was beside him slapping his knee. Yata's blush changed to anger.

"You two shut up over there." He yelled looking as if he was about to chuck his skateboard at them.


	8. Chapter 8

On the very next day, Koyuki was starting at HOMRA bar thanks to Kusanagi and once again she did some home baking that night but this time she hid the tray at the bottom of a bag with stuff covering it so that she didn't get attacked by everyone at HOMRA. In her other hand she carried a large tray of desserts that she prepared for customer consumption. Kusanagi already warned the boys that if they touched them, they were to dress up in a teddy bear costume and go stand outside and advertize for the bar, either way, Kusanagi would be making money. As soon as she opened the door to the bar ringing the bell, all of the boys faces lit up.

"Good morning, Koyuki." They all sang then took a whiff of the sugary air she brought in with her while eyeing the case in her hand which was a change from the usual smoke and alcohol. Yata was the only one who remained quiet.

"Good morning everyone." She replied like a teacher greeting their students first thing in the morning. Not everyone was there yet, being the age they are they must have been sleeping in.

"Hey Koyuki, can I help you carry all that?" Kamamoto asked outstretching his arms towards the case. Koyuki was about to place it in his arms until Kusanagi came around the corner carrying a box.

"Back away from that Kamamoto." Kusanagi warned walking around them to place the box on the counter. "I see you got a head start on the desserts already. That wasn't necessary but I appreciate it." He smiled.

"I got excited and couldn't wait. It's been a while since I made anything." Koyuki said handing the box over.

"Koyuki's here?" Tatara's voice was heard from upstairs then the stomping of his feet running down the hall to the stairs. He peered his head downstairs from the top step. "Hey Koyuki, I picked out your work uniform, wait 'till you see it." Everyone seemed to be curious as he ran back down the upstairs hallway to fetch the outfit. Tatara brought down an outfit on a hanger that was covered in a drapery and when he unveiled it everyone gave a different facial expression. Koyuki's face flushed a new shade of red as did Yata's. On the hanger was a traditional maid/servers outfit that was very skimpy and revealing, black and frills along the trim of the outfit. Just looking at it, it was sure to show everyone what panties she was wearing when she bent over and was low cut across the breasts supported by lacy straps.

"I-I can't wear that!" Koyuki shouted backing up into the counter almost knocking a chair over. Chitose had a disturbing grin on his face, Kamamoto smirked a bit with a perverted blush, Dewa's eyes grew and Eric just laughed.

"Where did you find an outfit like that?" Yata asked with his voice quivering.

"It was in the upstairs closet. It's one that Kusanagi gets his girlfriend to wear when she's over and it's just the two of them." Tatara laughed lightly.

"How many times do I have to tell you that she's just an old friend?" Kusanagi said irritated as he threw a wet towel at Tatara's head.

"I am NOT wearing that." Koyuki said sternly.

"Yeah put that thing away." Yata said blocking his eyes like he just walked in on a girl undressing for the first time. Tatara dropped his arms and placed them on his hips bending towards the skater.

"Does this make our little virgin uncomfortable?" Tatara teased. Kamamoto snorted.

"Haven't you ever at least been on a date?" Chitose asked.

"It's… been a while." He answered under his breath.

"Well then as your comrades it is our duty to prepare you for what you can expect from a date." Kamamoto announced.

"What?" Yata shouted.

"Yeah, one of us will pretend to be a girl and we can act out a typical date with you so that you aren't so nervous and we can go over on how to get a girlfriend." Tatara joined.

"Instead of pretending to be a girl, why don't you use a real girl?" Chitose said pointing to Koyuki. Everyone looked over to her and her face went from blushed to pale.

"Aw hell no!"

"Ya gotta make that first step man." Dewa said.

"You're hurting our lady's feelings." Tatara said gripping Koyuki by the shoulders.

"What do you say Koyuki? Will you help Yata by being his date for the demo?" Kamamoto asked gripping Yata the way that Tatara was Koyuki.

"If it helps you feel more comfortable of course I'll help."

"Banzai!" Everyone but Yata cheered.

"Perfect, now go change into your uniform and we'll get started." Tatara said. "The less you wear, the more uncomfortable Yata will be and that's where he needs work."

"Just this once. Only for you, Yata." Koyuki said.

"I'm leaving!"

A few minutes later, after Koyuki changed, she came out from the downstairs washroom and found that the lights were all dimmed. Her outfit was a two piece. The top was a white tube top style with a black string tied corset that came up to the curve of her under breast and did not have any straps rather it showed off her bare shoulders in an off shoulder sleeve that left her arms bare. Her bottoms were black with a white silk trim with a white apron with the same trim around it secured in a bow behind her back. She wore tights that went just past her knees making her feel very uncomfortable about showing her undies. Though extremely uncomfortable, she held her head high knowing that she was doing a favor and proceeded out onto the floor. As soon as she walked out, all heads turned to her. Yata sat sweating at a table with a rose in the middle and two lit candles on either side of it and the gang of boys sat behind him.

"Yata get up and go to her." Kamamoto whispered. Yata gulped before fumbling out of his seat and walked up to Koyuki. His eyes looked almost everywhere but in hers as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Go on, look her in the eyes and tell her she's beautiful." Tatara called. Yata's eyes squeezed shut before peering up at her with his hands deep in his pockets.

"Good… evening… Koyuki… You look… very beautiful tonight."

"Dumbass." Eric shouted in English.

"What did you just say? Don't think I don't know what that means!" Yata shouted abruptly turning around.

"Ah ah ah, wrong. You never lose your temper around a lady unless someone is saying bad things about her, then you thrash them. Try again." Tatara instructed. Eric laughed.

"Tch. You look beautiful tonight."

"Take her hand and walk her to the table." Chitose said smoothly.

"Pull out her chair." Dewa called. Yata gripped Koyuki's hand. His grip was shaky and tight as he walked her over to the table, pulled her chair out and let her sit down first and then he joined them. It was extremely awkward. Nobody that Koyuki has ever been on a date with has been this nervous. At that moment, Kusanagi came around the corner with a towel draped over his arms and two menus in his hand playing the part.

"Good evening sir and madam. Can I start the two of you off with our recommended wine?" He asked in a sophisticated accent.

"Kusanagi not you too!" Yata complained.

"He'll have the bottle." Kamamoto shouted.

"Coming right up." Kusanagi bowed backing away.

"Cue the live music." Eric said.

"We don't have a violin do we?" Tatara asked.

"No but I can beat box." Kamamoto said.

"Take it away." Kamamoto put his hands on his mouth and started a beat. All of the guys in the audience bobbed their head with the music and Eric threw out another beat overtop.

"Classic." Dewa said.

"As her about herself." Chitose called. Yata opened his mouth but was interrupted from unexpected footsteps coming down the stairs. Everyone turned their head to see their king whom had just woken up.

"Good morning." Tatara waved. Mikoto opened his eyes and stared at the scene confused.

"What's going on?" He spoke lazily.

"Koyuki's helping Yata overcome his fear of girls." Kamamoto said.

"Shut up!"

"Hmph, this I gotta see." Mikoto smirked taking a seat in the audience. Now Koyuki blushed feeling like she was being watched. She could do this with all of the other guys watching but when Mikoto walked in the room, her breath grew shallow and her palms got as sweaty as Yata's. She felt the air around her grow thick. His amber eyes gazed directly at her burning holes through her. It must be the outfit. She almost forgot that she was wearing it.

"Tell me a little about yourself." Yata spoke quietly. Koyuki's head snapped back to Yata then her fingers curled pulling the short skirt down towards her knees and toes curled as well. She took a breath and tried to pretend that Mikoto was not in the room.

"Well my favorite thing to do is bake. I taught myself and I've been doing it as long as I can remember. My signature dessert is traditional Japanese mini tea cakes. I typically use the same recipe but change the flavors around and decorate them accordingly." The flow of the conversation was interrupted by Kusanagi walking in carrying two champagne glasses and filling them up with water and he left the jug on their table.

"The hell is this?" Yata complained.

"You want real alcohol it'll cost ya." Kusanagi said losing his accent. "And to order."

"I'll have the –"

"Wrong, let the lady start." Tatara ordered.

"You go first." Yata corrected with a bored tone.

"I'll have the mixed greens."

"And I'll have a hamburger."

"Yata, are you even trying?" Kusanagi asked getting frustrated. "You never order barbaric food in the presence of a lady. Nothing that you eat with your hands or make a mess of any kind."

"Yeesh, sorry. I'll have…" Yata squinted at the menu. "Is ribs too messy?" Kusanagi nodded his head. "I guess steak." Conversations restarted after Kusanagi left and Koyuki began talking again. Many minutes later, Yata's posture slowly dropped into a slouch and his face rested against his fist.

"Are we almost done this part?" He asked swirling the remaining water around in his glass. "This has gone on forever."

"Get used to it Yata, all girls are like this." Chitose, the one with the most experience said.

"Excuse me?" Koyuki's head snapped over glaring at the wise guy abruptly standing up. The guys all oooo'd the one undergoing the fire. Mikoto even laughed. "Care to say that again?" She growled. Chitose's eyes doubled in size.

"You're doing a wonderful job." He said quickly trying to save his butt.

"I need to get out of this." Koyuki said pulling the strings on her corset and yanking it off while walking away. Everyone was confused what just happened. They almost didn't expect Koyuki to have a grumpy side. She was always so smiley and innocent that it didn't even seem possible that she could stand up for herself like that.

"Women can be scary." Kusanagi said nodding his head.

"Okay, now that Koyuki is back in her clothes and more comfortable, we're going to start on how to approach a girl." Tatara started. "Whether she is alone or in a group of friends, women favor the guys who are real and down to earth when taking the first step. Give it a try." Yata blushed taking two steps towards Koyuki.

"Do ya wanna hang out?" He spoke meekly.

"Confidence man!" Kamamoto shouted.

"Kamamoto's right. You need to look confident even if you aren't. Girls are more likely to say no if you look nervous. When you're nervous they get nervous. Too much confidence also makes them nervous then they think you're too full of yourself."

"He's right." Koyuki nodded with Tatara.

"Gah! My head hurts." Yata complained grabbing his head with both hands.

Many hours later near the end of the day, they had to call it quits. Yata seemed to have very little improvement but Koyuki promised him that she would help him again if he was up for it. The others discussed about their relationship past but Mikoto was the only one to keep quiet. When everyone asked him about it he just lazily said 'too troublesome'. Eventually everyone spread out into their quarters, Mikoto upstairs in his room, Kusanagi behind the bar, Chitose and Dewa left, Kamamoto, Tatara and Koyuki all reflected on the lesson and gave some last minute tidbits to help Yata out. Kusanagi said it was all about practice and being smooth.

"Well that was a waste of a day." Yata complained picking up his skateboard from the corner.

"But very necessary. You gotta get over your fears man. Girls are humans too." Tatara shrugged.

"Yeah, whatever. Later. See ya Koyuki." Yata said before heading out the door with Kamamoto.

"What a handful." Kusanagi shook his head. "You did great today, Koyuki."

"Thanks. I really hope Yata fells better about approaching girls now. I told him that I would take him out and find a girl for him that will be quite easy going for him. Of course he didn't say much to that." She laughed.

"Well, that wasn't quite work but good work. I'll see you back here tomorrow." Kusanagi dismissed.

"Okay. Oh, I need to speak with the king. Is it alright if I go in his room?"

"I'd knock before you go in. He might be sleeping but poke your head in anyways." Tatara said.

Koyuki nodded taking her bag with her then she proceeded upstairs. She felt herself get warm with anxiety the closer she got to his room but really wanted to give him her gift in person, at least he seemed to be in a good mood when he came downstairs. He's so strange the way he removes himself from everyone at unspoken times. Everyone speaks so highly of him and respects him but he always seemed so distant in a strange way. When Koyuki saw him leave to go up stairs, she noticed something in his eyes. It seemed all too familiar. She knocked twice and there was no answer so she poked her head inside. The room was very plain and empty but clean, a dresser, a desk with a chair and a large bed in the corner with Mikoto lying on it facing the wall. It didn't faze her that Mikoto was so lazy that he couldn't be bothered to make a mess that he had to clean up; the walls, however, were a different story. There were a few holes that looked as if they had been quickly patched up in various spots but mostly by the bed area and some holes looked fresh that posed as evidence from his violent temper.

"Mr. Mikoto?" Koyuki quietly called.

"Mm?" He grunted in reply not even moving. She clutched her bag before speaking up.

"May I come in?"

"Go ahead." He said. Koyuki shut the door behind her and watched as the redhead lazily got out of bed and ran a hand through his ruffled hair. He was lazy alright but the way moaned and slowly got out of bed to stand up was so attractive to her. "What brings you here?" Koyuki felt a little high the way he was looking with all of his attention on her. She had always found him very attractive but something about him standing there; a little sleepy just he alone was almost enough to send her over the edge.

"I wanted to thank you for letting me back into HOMRA, even though I ran away. I'm sorry for that. I was just so… surprised about a single event. Everyone here is so nice and really welcoming. As a thank you I made these for you." Koyuki took out the box that was hidden deep in her bag and handed it over to Mikoto. As soon as he received it, he opened it up. Inside were four specialty cakes all of them different shapes. One was decorated with a vanilla looking icing and garnished with cherries and strawberries, another was chocolate and garnished with various pieces of cookies, another was pink assumable strawberry and it had lacy icing and a chocolate piece to top it off and the other was green with mint leaves on the top. His eyes glowed.

"Are these your famous cakes?" He asked. Koyuki smiled with a blush before nodding her head once. Mikoto looked back down to the box and smiled. "I really appreciate this. Welcome to the family." Koyuki's eyes lit up at the word family. Finally, a group of people she can call her family. She had never had a family before so hearing those words almost caused her to break down.

"Thank you so much. That means so much to me. I promise I'm here to stay." She bowed before backing to the door. Mikoto smirked.

"There's no reason for you to bow to me. You don't have to be all proper around me. I'm not someone that needs to be put on a pedestal; after all, I'm just another human being." Koyuki nodded before opening the door.

"Okay, thank you again, Mr. Mikoto."

"Before you go, just call me Mikoto."


	9. Chapter 9

A few days later, Koyuki got a call from Scepter 4 asking her to come in for an examination. They were adamant that she had to get it done otherwise they had the right to use force to bring her in. Much to her confusion she confirmed her appointment time and gave Kusanagi a call right after explaining to him the details of a physical examination and mental examination. Kusanagi affirmed that it was nothing to be concerned about and they do it to all people who say that they are not part of any clan and have special abilities since Koyuki explained to them that she had no ties with clans on her meeting with Seri Awashima. Kusanagi said that this test was actually ran by the Gold Clan and said just show them your tattoo then there should be nothing to worry about. This took a load off of her shoulders.

As soon as she reached the examination facility, she was given a brief walkthrough of all the tasks she had to complete for each exam. The first part was written and asked her many questions about her history with any special gifts, health, family health history, if she's been with a clan. The second part of the same examination was more of a scenario basis asking her what she would do in any given particular events. There were also personality tests to decide her personality code as well as a portion dedication to her mental stability. Many long answers later, Koyuki's hands started to cramp up. When she had finally finished writing, she put her pen down and handed the papers back to the front reception area then she was lead by a doctor to another area for her physical examination. This part of the facility was very sterile and clean looking from the reflective steel structural design. It looked very sci-fi with fancy machinery and equipment around. The doctor stopped in a change room.

"Now please if you would proceed into this room and remove all articles of your clothing and put on a robe so that we can begin your physical examination." Dr. Ritsuke instructed. Koyuki nodded and entered the change room. It was such a dull room. Dull colored walls and floors, a few benches and lockers to store clothing, there were even full length mirrors on one of the walls. She looked at herself in the mirrors as she removed her cropped cardigan and skirt then she lifted her shirt over her shoulders. Placing the clothes in one of the lockers along with her PDA, she then reached behind her to undo the clasps on her bra letting the straps fall down her shoulders next removing her undergarments and placing both those articles in the locker. Her feet felt cold against the steel flooring and sent a shiver throughout her body. Koyuki put on a clean robe before exiting the change room.

As soon as she left the change room, the doctor directed her over to an x-ray station. Koyuki stood tall as the machine snapped a shot of her body in its entirety on both sides then it focused in on the individual limbs and torso and captured those images. Once that was finished two more doctors came in and lay her down on a table and began to wire her up. They placed wires all over her body: five on her head, one above and below each of her breasts, four on her back, two on each arm and leg. Koyuki felt very uncomfortable with all of them being male doctors and placing equipment on the more delicate parts of her body.

"This test is going to give us an idea of your oxygen intake and the percentages used for each organ. We'll start off with you dormant then move on for you performing various tasks." Koyuki nodded and as the doctors moved away from her, her eyes widened seeing a camera lower itself over top of her just inches away from her body. "Try to stay calm." Dr. Ritsuke said. Koyuki closed her eyes trying to ignore the electronic bystander. Two of the doctors were on nearby computers reading the numbers then they nodded at the third doctor who was controlling the camera.

"Now, with your eyes still closed, I want you to imagine an object in front of you and try to grab it." Koyuki did as she was told and continued to complete various tasks while being wired up then they moved her to the next and final machine. This machine read her brain waves, her heart beat, circulatory and muscle contractions. It was basically a pod that she would be laying in that had full visuals of her body.

"We understand that you said you were actually in fact part of a clan, the red clan, as stated in your history and you say your crest is on the back of your neck is it? With this exam we are able to see how different your body functions with that power compared to the average human. Please lay down in here. Once you are in we will shut the container and monitor your activity. A few minutes in we are going to pump some gas in to make you fall asleep then we will begin analyzing your resting activity." One of the doctors said. Koyuki obliged and hopped in the pod. She felt as if she were trapped inside of a morgue's body storage with the amount of room in the pod and as soon as she touched its metal incasing with her slightly exposed back, every inch of her body became covered in goose bumps. As soon as the top came down enclosing her into a coffin like state with no way to see what was going on outside of there, she tried to calm her anxious mind. Minutes later as gas began to be pumped into the pod, Seri Awashima entered the examination laboratory and stood watching the doctors screen monitors activity.

"How's everything going?" She asked Dr. Ritsuke in a military like standing position.

"We have confirmed that she has been granted the Red Aura and her crest is located on the back of her neck."

"When did she first receive the Aura?" Seri asked.

"About two months ago judging by progression of development of her frontal lobe, as you can see by the amount of red origination within this area. The amount of red you see indicates her abilities she possessed from the Red Aura and the activity here is much larger than your typical homosapien. What's odd about her is that the activities are located in her left frontal lobe and there is nothing in the right."

"Is this something unique about that?"

"It may be. Most humans that wield an aura have the most amount of activity in this region in the left frontal lobe and it should almost mirror the other side but with Koyuki that does not seem to be the case."

"It says in her file that she has never been tested before. Usually in their elementary years, children are given a written test to determine if there are any abnormalities that need to be examined. However, Koyuki has never been tested." Another doctor said pointing to the coloured brain map on his computer screen with the pen he had been chewing on.

"What can this mean?" Seri questioned.

"It could mean a few things but the most common outcome from many experiences is that our specimen has some sort of Strain abilities. In most cases strains that are apart of clans use half of their brain for their strain powers and the other half for their granted abilities." Dr. Ritsuke explained.

"A Strain?"

"If that were so, while she is sleeping she will dream up a situation where she feels the need to use her Strain abilities then the activity of those powers would transfer onto our monitor here." Just as the doctor finished explaining this, his theory was confirmed by her right frontal lobe lighting up starting with blue then melting to green, to yellow, to red then to white. The doctors gasped.

"And there we have it." Another doctor said.

"What's going on? What's happening?" Seri questioned in a hurry.

"I don't believe this. The activity is going off the charts." Dr. Ritsuko exclaimed.

"Sir, it's OVER 9000!"

"Her whole brain's activity is turning white!"

"This has never happened before!" Everyone watching questioned what was going on inside of her brain. The chords that connected the pod to the computer sparked with electricity sending a jolt to the computers overworking them until they all overheated. Dr. Ritsuke received a zap on the tips of his fingers that were pressed against the keyboard during the event. The screens began to crack breaking the glass until the hardware crashed. The three doctors and Seri looked at the wreckage.

"What is going on with her?" Seri asked.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Whatever is happening, we need to stay calm and ask her to come back for another test. Maybe the next one the other machinery can withstand her brain activity." Dr. Ritsuke said rubbing the tips of his fingers together.

"It's probably faulty equipment. We won't know until we go over her written exam. She may have specified all of her abilities which we need to test."

"That would make the most sense." Seri addressed.

A creaking noise was heard and they all turned their head to the pod to see that the lid had been opened releasing the visible cloud of gas. Koyuki sat up clutching her head with one of her hands then began to massage her temples. The audience just stared at her wide-eyed and openmouthed.

"Is the test over, my head really hurts." Koyuki opened her eyes. "Lieutenant Awahsima?"

"Koyuki, can you tell me what you were dreaming of when we put you to sleep?" Dr. Ritsuke asked. Koyuki thought for half a second.

"I saw your death." She answered. Everyone gasped and Dr. Ritsuke took a step back.

"What else did you see? Explain the situation." Seri questioned. Koyuki touched her head.

"I don't remember everything but I remember seeing blood. You were… murdered."

"Murdered? By who?" Dr. Ritsuke asked.

"I don't know but you seemed to know the person. It was very dark and I remembered seeing a knife." The Dr.'s stomach churned hearing the details of what may be his own gruesome death. He questioned to himself who would want to kill him but when a face came to his mind, he knew it was entirely possible that this was his reading.

"Well I'm sure it was just a dream and didn't mean anything." He said out loud trying to calm himself down.

"I'm sure you're right. I must have been watching too many scary movies." She said getting out of the coffin.

"Koyuki." Seri said making her way over to the woman. "Have you ever experienced things like this where they actually came true?"

"Not yet. Although I have experienced someone's past that had already happened and every detail was accurate."

"I'd like you to come in for another test. Please understand when I say that this is of a very high priority." Seri said.

"Okay." Koyuki nodded.

"Koyuki, please take this time to get dressed then we'll discuss a further date for your next exam." Dr. Ritsuke ordered. Koyuki's footsteps patted along the steel floor as she made her way to the dressing room then closed the door behind her.

"What's the matter Dr? You look sweaty." Seri asked the shaking doctor.

"I have a feeling that that prediction is a very possible outcome."

"Well we'll just have to see when she comes back if you're still alive or not." One of the other doctors in the room said. A few minutes passed then Koyuki came back out fully adorned in her clothes and met back with the doctors.

"When was the time that you received your Red Aura?" Dr. Ritsuke questioned.

"Almost two months ago now that I think back to it."

"Uh huh, and when you received your aura from the Red King, has he passed any specific abilities that he to possesses other than the aura itself?" Koyuki's eyes snapped up to the doctor to meet his in a questioning demeanor.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Your aura allows you to use special abilities, any that the two of you share?" Ritsuke clarified.

"No, before that."

"I said when you received your aura."

"Received from…?"

"The Red King."

"I-I don't follow."

"Koyuki all members of a clan receive their aura from their king, your king being Mikoto Suoh. This means you must have come in contact with him for him to transfer the aura to you." Seri explained.

"Mikoto gave me…" Confusion washed over the young woman like a tsunami. She never was told that a king gives their clansmen the aura so she was being deceived. He never explained to her that he was the one who gave her fire, right when they first met. Koyuki closed her eyes thinking back to that moment.

 _"_ _Don't be a stranger around here."_

Her eyes flashed open. That was it. When she was leaving after being on bed rest her first time at HOMRA they shook hands. Ever since that day her life has been a new definition of frustrating. He was the one that caused her to melt those cups on her first day back. He was the one who led her to turn water into vapor as soon as her hands made contact. He was the one who burnt down Blendz & Beanz. Her brows fused together. Why didn't he say anything? Mikoto Suoh, the lazy king of HOMRA, the Red King whom everyone respected and feared.

"I don't have an answer for that question. I don't know." She finally replied.

"Very well. Thank you for coming in today. We will go over all test results. Please make your next appointment within a week." Dr. Ritsuke dismissed. Koyuki nodded then proceeded to leave the building. Her fists were in a ball as she headed straight to HOMRA bar. She was going to walk up to Mikoto, sleeping or not and question him why he gave her the aura. There was no reason possible that would make up for the fact of him not telling her but she would hear him out then she would make him remove it. A while later she finally arrived at HOMRA and stepped through the door.

"Hey there Koyuki." Kusanagi greeted as did all the others who were at the bar.

"Where's Mikoto?" She asked.

"Upstairs, why do you –" Before Kusanagi could finish, Koyuki darted past him up the steps.

"What's with her?" Kamamoto questioned and Kusanagi just shrugged.

"Beats me." Yata replied.

Koyuki's fire began to burn the closer she came to his door. She didn't even bother knocking she just barged right in to find him in no other place than on his bed facing the wall. Anna was also in the room next to Mikoto playing with her red marbles on the floor who lifted her head as soon as Koyuki stormed in. Mikoto did not budge.

"Mikoto." She said sternly. Anna used this time to collect her marbles then proceeded out the room shutting the door behind her. Koyuki's steps were heard as she closed the distance between them. "How come you never told me that you're the one that gives out the auras, that it's what it means to be king?" He turned around slowly getting up to where he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I was getting examined then one of the doctors mentioned that you were the one that gave me the aura." Koyuki said waiting for an answer.

"I did. I guess I forgot to mention that piece of information to you." He said tiredly.

"Mikoto!" Koyuki's voice went an octave higher as her fists curled. "Don't you realize what you've done? Ever since that day life has never been the same. I couldn't touch anything without it melting, vaporizing or combusting. I've been burning up on my insides. I burnt down the building where I worked at and found myself without a job. How could you have forgotten to tell me that?"

"When I found you, you looked like you were bored with life so I decided to give you some excitement." He joked.

"Is that supposed to be funny? How could you say that?" Koyuki turned her body to the side and grabbed her elbow. "I thought I was never going to be normal again." She was quiet for a minute then turned her face to him and looked him directly into his yellow eyes hers filled with sorrow. "Why did you do this, Mikoto?" She whispered. He stood up and walked right up to her, put his hands in his pockets still making eye contact.

"When I found you, you were passed out cold in an alleyway. Your breath was even cold. Had I left you, you may have died that same day. It was the only way to save you. Giving you the red aura meant that your body would get warmer and your organs wouldn't shut down and it would give you a way to defend yourself. You didn't deserve to die." He said bluntly. Koyuki was speechless. "I don't know what has happened to you in your life but it doesn't have to end that way." Suddenly she had a change in her attitude.

"You would do that for someone you didn't know. That's sweet." She said quietly then looked in his eyes. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you."

"I can take away your aura if that's what you want." His voice lowered. Koyuki thought hard about what to do. She did want to be normal again so that she can perform daily activities without chaos but if that were to happen, she would become disconnected and lose the bond that she had been forming with everyone at HOMRA.

"Can I ever get it back?" She asked.

"You can but only if you are capable of accepting the aura like the first time. It can be very dangerous." Another moment passed before she gave her answer.

"Yes. Please take it." She already began to regret her answer. Mikoto took another step towards her and lowered his head down to meet hers. Koyuki wasn't paying attention to what he was doing until his lips barely grazed over hers then she pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"If you want me to take back the aura, I'm gonna have to make contact with you." He smirked a little. Koyuki paused for a moment followed by a nod then he began to approach her again. He lowered his lips back onto hers and gently pressed them together. She kept her eyes closed and could feel the aura flowing out of her as their mouths stayed connected. Mikoto smoothly glided his lips on hers until the aura had been completely drained then he pulled away from her. Koyuki had been blushing the entire time that their lips had made contact and it remained on her face even after they separated. As her heart rate slowed her blush eventually vanished. She found it too awkward looking back into his eyes and stayed quiet until a tear unexpectedly fell from her eyes then wiped it with her fingers.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect this." She said turning her body slightly from him.

"Koyuki." He said. At the sound of her name coming from his lips caused her to lock her sparkling azure eyes to his fiery yellow orbs. This was the first time that he had ever spoken her name and the sound of it coming from his low rough voice sent a current of satisfaction flowing throughout her body. "Even though you don't have the aura anymore, you're with HOMRA and that means that we've got your back. If you ever find yourself in any kind of situation, I will come for you." Koyuki smiled squeezing her eyes shut. Her hands gripped her arms so tight that she was trembling with joy, and excitement at the same time her tears continued to fall.


	10. Chapter 10

Ever since that day when she had her aura removed the only thing that was on her mind was the moment that Mikoto kissed her. Each time she thought about that memory, a blush rushed across her face. Whenever he would come in the room that was the first thing she thought of and felt very awkward around him still. The more she thought about it the more she tried to convince herself that it meant nothing and the kiss was purely to remove the red aura but then his words reentered her mind. His promise that HOMRA is there for her and that he will come help her whenever she needed it. Those butterflies never left her stomach and it didn't help that she sees him almost every day now but for once, she didn't feel like she was alone and there was some progression in her life. Everyone at HOMRA got along with her and she valued every one of them, even Yata was starting to become more comfortable around her which was considered impossible for him.

Koyuki normally would have been too afraid to go to the hospital to pay Mariko a visit but with HOMRA behind her she felt confident that she could overcome this fear. Luckily when she arrived at Shizume City Hospital, Mariko had just been though a reconstructive surgery that she was still fast asleep from. On the way over, Koyuki had stopped at the flower shop and had picked out some yellow and white lilies to bring to the hospital room. Koyuki nearly broke down seeing the remnants of that day engraved on both sides of the unconscious woman's chest. Two scars, one above each breast in the shape of perfect hand prints where Koyuki had impacted her in an outburst of anger. Even though she felt she was being threatened by Mariko, she wished that she had better control over herself although that was completely unlike her to behave so aggressively now Mariko will walk around being reminded of those memories every time she looks at herself. The rest of her body would heal without any scars except those hand prints. Looking at them Koyuki was reminded of Mariko's past reliving that moment of guilt realizing that her mother had caused this girl so much pain and she was reminded of it every time she looked at Koyuki. Questions arose about as to how she was able to see the past of another person when she was not present. Now that she thought about it, maybe that's what she was being examined for. They understood that she was a part of the red clan and knew what kind of behaviors to look for in clansmen but they scheduled a second analysis to conduct some more tests. It seemed strange that they would do that but now that she remembers that moment, the doctors were behaving strangely as soon as she came out of the pod as if they were holding information from her. Maybe now that her aura has been removed, her next exam will reveal nothing. As she sat in the chair next to Mariko's bed, the aroma of the lilies filled the room.

The day was getting late so Koyuki got up and headed back to her home. Even though she was reliving emotional moments while visiting Mariko, she felt enlightened. Her fears backed away from her after she overcame them and took command now that she had people she could depend on. Koyuki almost walked with a little skip to her step as she made her way over to her apartment looking forward to going back to HOMRA after the weekend but first she was going to go home and read a book in a nice hot bubble bath.

Upon entering her loft, the nano projection screen dinged with 8 new messages all from none other than her mother. _So much for not hearing from her,_ Koyuki thought deleting the messages right away without listening to them. Without further adieu, she walked into her bathroom and turned on the water. Monitoring the temperature, she plugged the tub when it met her satisfaction then tied up her hair so it was all on top of her head. _What could that lady want? I do myself the favor by not replying to her but I'm just so curious whether or not she has put her life together. Still, I don't know if I could ever trust her. Here's hoping._ Koyuki thought while pouring a splash of lavender scented bubble bath into the tub. _I don't think I could live with myself if the others knew._ She contemplated referring to HOMRA. Once the tub was full, Koyuki shut off the valve and dipped her toes in. The sensation of warm water tickling her toes was enough to put anyone at ease. Eventually, she submerged herself into the water and closed her eyes for a moment taking in as much serenity as she could, relaxing her muscles and emptying her mind. After a few moments peace, she reached over to the table she had next to her tub to put headphones in her ears to listen to her mp3 player and then grabbed her book that she had been working on and flipped to her next chapter.

A couple chapters later, a sound was heard coming from elsewhere in her loft. She didn't think anything of it because she knew that she locked the door but it seemed to be getting closer until she realized that it was coming from just outside of her washroom door. There was a man's voice and a woman's voice that were both quite slurred and choppy so she decided to get out of her bath to investigate. The water was draining and Koyuki towel dried herself enough before she put on her clothes but froze hearing the person practically talking through the door.

"Probably keeps it in here." A male voice said grabbing onto the door knob making a slight squeak as it was being turned. Koyuki quickly covered herself with the towel before the door could be opened. "What, you found some?" Was all that was heard before the footsteps could be heard moving away from the door. She sighed before tossing all of her clothes back on. After exiting the washroom, the voice that belonged to the man was never recognized since she did not know the man but the woman on the other hand caused her to freeze with fear. When the woman turned around and made eye contact, Koyuki screamed.

"MOTHER!"

"Koyuki, is that any way to greet the woman that gave birth to you?" She asked.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you I never want to see you again!" Koyuki shouted then she looked at the box of pills in her mother's hand. "Get your hands off of my stuff!" She ran at the lady trying to grab the box out of her hands but the man stepped in front of her so Koyuki bounced off of him.

"This is my fiancé Yatsu. He's out on bail so we can get married." Koyuki looked at the man. He was tall and his appearance was very disturbing. He had fresh scars near his elbow veins, tattoos up his arms of various suggestive things and anti religion emblems and had stitching tattoos around his entire neck. His cheeks were almost skeletal and his face was almost as pale as her mothers and covered with scars as if he had been scratching his own skin off. His nose was crooked like it had been broken many times also his eyes were empty and without a soul. He looked so much like all of the other men she would bring around her when she was little.

 _"_ _Koyuki, this is Higuchi. He's going to be living with us for a while." Her mother spoke to a much younger pigtail wearing Koyuki. She dared not to look up at him or through her bangs at the sinister smirk on the man's face instead she focused on his feet struggling to keep balanced on the ground._

 _"_ _Hi, Koyuki. I think you and I are going to have a lot of fun together." He said before a hoarse laughter came out of his rotting mouth._

 _"_ _Koyuki, fetch Higuchi and I some beer." Her mother called from under the bed sheets after finishing intercourse with the man she had just met. Koyuki obey her mother and grabbed a chair from the dining table to grab the alcohol from the top shelf in the refrigerator. She closed the door behind her and proceeded to take the glass bottles to the bedroom. Upon entering the room, the sight of her mother naked in bed (though seen many times) still made it sick to her stomach as it did the very first time. On top of the night tables on either side of the bed were smokes, needles, teaspoons and lighters cluttered on both of the stained surfaces. The woman sat up letting the sheets fall away from her in order to receive the beverage and took the other one to hand to her accompaniment. "Thanks honey."_

 _"_ _The hell is this shit?" Higuchi's voice rose after gulping down a couple mouthfuls. "Regular, only pussy's drink regular."_

 _"_ _Go grab him a dark." Her mother ordered. Koyuki turned right back around and climbed back up the chair beginning the search in the trove of alcohol with no luck finding what she needed. She went back to report to the intruder._

 _"_ _We don't have any dark." Koyuki said in a flat monotone voice barely auditable enough for them to hear._

 _"_ _What? No dark? What do you mean you don't have any dark? I asked you to get me a dark brat." Higuchi spat before getting out of bed stepping closer towards her with his manhood unsheathed. Koyuki squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't drink this pussy juice. Stupid kid, respect your elders and look at me when I'm talking to you." Higuchi threw the bottle near her exploding it into many tiny pieces then he stretched out his arm to her and grabbed her by her blue hair and lifted her up off of her feet. "Stupid kid, open your eyes so you can hear me. Now get me a dark."_

 _"_ _We don't have any more… sir." She squeaked out as politely as she could. Higuchi threw her head to the ground so hard that the impact caused the room to spin around her then he kicked her in the head._

 _"_ _Then. Go. And. Get. Some." He said after every time his foot struck her skull with sharp toe nails slicing through her face. Koyuki screamed as blood began to trickle down from her nose and face trying to curl up to block the blows with her arms and legs. Higuchi stopped kicking her and switched to stomping her to get in where her arms and legs weren't covering. "Stupid bitch. Learn to respect your elders." He spat at her before turning back to the bed. Koyuki sat there with tears silently coming out of her eyes and just lay there lifelessly waiting for the pain to cease._

 _"_ _Higuchi why don't we get dressed in a few minutes and go get some more? I need to pick up more stuff from Ritsuke anyways." The naked woman said in a seductive tone. "Koyuki, go to your room and play. We'll be back in a few hours." Koyuki tried to get up but her legs were too bashed to support her instead she crawled out of the room using her forearms and one of her legs until she made it into her room. She sat up next to her dresser and opened up the lowest drawer to move some clothes out of the way so that she could pull out a torn photo of a man dressed in light colours, azure eyes downturned as soon as she gazed upon the photo if happier memories._

 _"Oh father." Her voice shakily whispered. Her tears pattered onto the plasticized photo next to the older stains._

"You need to leave." Koyuki shouted at her mother and Yatsu then she ran over and grabbed her PDA so that she could phone Mikoto at HOMRA. Even though it was late, he was most likely to be there. If he slept through her phone call then Kusanagi would pick up. Suddenly her PDA was grabbed from her hands by the soulless man and was held high above her making her jump up to reach it like a kindergartener being picked on by a bully. "Hey give me that back."

"Who ya gonna call? Better not be the cops." He snarled.

"Relax Koyuki, we just wanted to let you know that we're going to be in town for a while. I just wanted to stop by and see you. You are my daughter after all."

"You're not my mother, you just gave birth to me. A mother doesn't subject her daughter to abuse or all the men you can't keep in your life. A mother does not bring her daughter to a photographer to take pictures of her so she can sell them to other perverted men to make a few bucks for her drugs. A mother does not kidnap her daughter from her own father. All of your empty apologies over the phone mean nothing." Koyuki was practically screamed at the last few sentences. Her mother's eyebrows knit together and her eyes practically charred with rage.

"I told you that I did it to save you from him. That man is a monster and he would have taken you away from me if he had the chance. He's done more to you as an infant that you could remember. I saved you Koyuki, SAVED YOU." Her mother answered in her own shout.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU." Koyuki exploded. _Where's my fire when I need it?_ She cursed to herself. Yatsu responded by smashing her PDA on the wooden floor shattering it into almost as many pieces as Koyuki's heart had been shattered. She watched in dismay at the glittering pieces scattering across the floor revealing new scratch marks from where it had broken apart. Her mouth dropped.

"Respect your elder's brat." Yatsu growled. Koyuki's face contorted with anger but she stayed quiet knowing that it would be good for her. Her mother stepped over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder though she did not give her the satisfaction of seeing the fire in her eyes.

"Be seeing you around, honey." The lady whispered before walking past to the door. She kept her head down looking at the mess on the floor her shoulders twitching trying to hold back her tears in the presence of the intruders. Yatsu walked past her and gave her a harsh 'I don't like your attitude and you better watch out' pat on the shoulders. It wasn't until the door clicked shut that Koyuki finally fell to her knees and let out the waterfall of tears she had been fighting to hold back.

"Dammit mother. Why now?"

Hours passed as it was well into the night, Koyuki was still too shaken up to fall asleep. Since then she tried lying on her couch but the reality was that she was afraid to fall asleep. What if while she was sleeping they would come back and cause more trouble? Now that her PDA was shattered, she didn't know how to tell everyone what had happened, they would start to worry about her and she didn't want to cause them anymore trouble though she would have called and told Mikoto to come help her when they were still here. She wondered if she should tell him next time she seen him but then he may kill her mother. All she really wanted is for her to move to a different country then Koyuki could sleep soundly.

Another hour passed pondering about the possible outcomes if Mikoto and the others dealt with the situation and it became clear to her that she wouldn't get any sleep here. Koyuki sat up with an idea. She got dressed in her usual attire and headed out the door and exited the complex. There was a bed at HOMRA that she had slept in once before and she knew that Kusanagi wouldn't mind if she bunked there for the night, that's why everyone was able to come into the bar through the back door. Upon arriving at HOMRA bar, she input the pin number into the back door setting a green light off and walked through the door. As it locked behind her, she proceeded up the stairs. She passed the spare bedroom to Mikoto's room and stopped by the open door to look inside. Nobody was there. The whole building was hers then she remembered the night he walked her home, he told her that he didn't actually live here but the amount of time he spent here, sleeping, made her think otherwise but at 3:00 in the morning he was really gone. Koyuki shook her head before turning around to go to the spare bedroom for the night. Not too long after she rest herself under the covers she felt safer and secure that put her mind to rest then soon dozed off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Later that same sunny morning, Kusanagi walked with Mikoto to the bar. Kusanagi basically opened up shop whenever he felt like it and closed it as he see fit. He bought the bar for quite a sum of money and had the bar since he was in his young teens and used it as a getaway for him, Mikoto and Tatara since they were all buddies since high school but Tatara was in middle school at the time. The two boys paced themselves side by side each with a cigarette angled from the side of their mouths. Kusanagi took the stick out of his mouth and blew out the fumes before he spoke.

"It seems like you've taken quite an interest in our newest female addition lately. I have to admit that she is a cutie. If she was more around my age then I would try to pick her up." He said looking over to his childhood buddy. Mikoto stayed silent for a few steps then puffed out a cloud of smoke.

"There's something about her. When I first found her she refused to let me help her but when I was about to turn away, she reached out to grab me and begged me not to leave. At first her eyes were empty as if many people had failed her in her lifetime but now she's become so, well… carefree isn't the right way to put it."

"Cheerful, yeah. She seemed lonely and distant, almost like you can be at times." Kusanagi said finishing Mikoto's thought. "But now she seems to fit in with everyone. Even Yata appreciates her. With her constantly bringing food for everyone who wouldn't appreciate her?" Mikoto stayed silent and moved his cigarette from one side of his mouth to the other. He didn't really know how to say it but aside from the obvious feedings that he has now gotten, Mikoto did value her not just for her cooking. He still felt that there was so much she wasn't telling anyone about something that he could do to help her, being the caring person that he is he wished that she would become comfortable enough to rely on him with her troubles. Mikoto did not seem like it but he genuinely cared for all of his clan members. He thought of them more as friends then subordinates. Kusanagi noted Mikoto's silence and knew exactly what he was thinking about. "And here we are, still in one piece." Kusanagi commented about his precious bar.

"What did you think would happen, burnt down?" Mikoto oddly joked.

"With the guys around you never know what's gonna happen. I had another nightmare last night that Yata got so worked up over Eric that he torched the place just so that Eric couldn't just hang around 24/7 like he used to."

"That's one scary nightmare." Mikoto said as Kusanagi unlocked the door with his keys. Mikoto was the first one to walk into the bar but was stopped from proceeding as Kusanagi just stood there awkwardly. "Hm?"

"Someone's here, I can smell it." Kusanagi said. Mikoto raised his eyebrows. Kusanagi took off his jacket and began searching around for the intruder. "There's no way it's one of the guys, they're all at work. Anna's at school… Koyuki…?" His voice trailed off. Both of the men looked at each other before going upstairs to the spare bedroom surprised to find that the door was shut. Once again they looked at one another before quietly cracking the door open just enough for their eyes to see in. Kusanagi relaxed seeing Koyuki's blue hair as she slept on the bed. He gently closed the door trying not to disturb her. "What the hell is Koyuki doing sleeping here?" Kusanagi questioned his buddy hoping he knew the answer but Mikoto just shook his head. The two men head back downstairs and took a seat on their usual couches. "I wonder when she got here."

"What time did you leave the bar last night?"

"Around 1:00 in the morning. She must have come after. I wondered what happened. Anyways, what's the plan for the day?" Kusanagi asked linking his fingers together behind his head and throwing one leg over another.

"Breakfast." Was all Mikoto said.

"You just ate before we got here." Kusanagi said in a bored monotone kind of voice. His eyes widened at the sound of Mikoto's stomach roaring. "You're a real handful ya know that?"

"Sorry."

Cracking could be heard as footsteps pressed onto the wood floor from the hallway above. Both the guys looked over to the staircase as a very tired looking Koyuki came down. She had slept in the bed with her everyday clothes on and her hair was very messy looking almost completely out of her usual side ponytail. Koyuki rubbed underneath her eyes with her other hand on the railing guiding her down the steps.

"Good morning beautiful." Kusanagi called.

"Oh, you guys are here already? I'm sorry, I'll take the sheets home to wash then I'll bring them back." She blushed apologetically.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Nobody ever sleeps in them anyways." Kusanagi said with his hand up. Koyuki's feet slid her over to the couches then sat on the same couch as Mikoto with lots of space in between them. "So what happened last night?"

"Oh, I just had a bad night at home and I thought changing scenery would help me get to sleep." She said.

"Koyuki, you can tell us what happened. It's just us here." Kusanagi said calling her bluff. Koyuki looked between the two before sighing.

"It's a long story." She began. "My mother came over in the middle of the night with a new boyfriend and things got heated. He took my PDA and smashed it." Mikoto watched her as she explained wrapping her arms around her knees beginning to quiver.

"So now you don't have a PDA. That's not good." Kusanagi said before noticing his best friends hands grip the arm rest on the couch. He could sense his aura starting to ignite.

"Her and I have never really been on good terms. She's been addicted to drugs for my whole life. I think the only time she hasn't done them was while she was pregnant with me. Because of that I was in and out of foster care for many years and was on my own as soon as I was 14."

"Where's your father in all of this?" Kusanagi asked. Koyuki looked down with her arms still wrapped around her knees.

"My mother kidnapped me from him when I was three. She says she did it to save me from him but I don't believe her. She is the one that I need to get away from. I wish that I could meet him so that he could tell me himself what happened." Koyuki explained as her eyes began to water. She acknowledged that her father would appear much different with so many years gone by without seeing him. She may not even recognized him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Mikoto spoke. Koyuki inhaled and looked up to his tense figure. He was getting himself worked up over the story feeling a portion of the rage that she must have felt in her whole lifetime but as soon as her eyes met his, he began to relax. "That shouldn't have happened to you. You were a kid that got caught in the cross fire of an adults life which is something that should never happened but you've managed to find the strength to overcome that and make it this far. You may not see it but you are stronger than you may think." Koyuki's eyes widened after hearing that come from the king's mouth. This was why everyone respected him so much. When it came down to it, Mikoto was always there to hear people out and give encouragement, a side that he showed in a more one on one type of setting and not when everyone was around. Koyuki found herself a little less afraid of him.

"Thank you." She whispered wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sure that's just all in a nutshell. Why don't you take the day off? You don't have to worry about helping around today. You're probably not up for it." Kusanagi offered but Koyuki shook her head.

"No, I think I need the work to take my mind off of it. Besides, I've already got the afternoon off. I'm getting another evaluation by the gold clan again."

"Oh, right. You told us about that. That seems a little strange that they would do it again so soon." Kusanagi replied.

"You think so?"

"Probably were training someone who didn't know what they were doing and screwed it up." Mikoto joked not changing his expression even the slightest. Koyuki stopped and had to process the fact that Mikoto made that remark which seemed very unusual to her.

"Is something the matter?" Kusanagi questioned looking at Koyuki's puzzled face.

"Um no. I was just questioning if Mikoto made a joke." Kusanagi laughed.

"Yeah that was Mikoto's sense of humor. He usually has a pretty dark sense of humor." Mikoto frowned at Kusanagi who was still laughing. "Especially when it comes to food." He finally stopped laughing upon hearing someone's stomach growl. They both looked over at Mikoto who was apologetically bowing his head. "I can't believe this guy sometimes ya know." Kusanagi sighed with a palm on his forehead. Koyuki laughed.

"I guess I'm making breakfast." Koyuki assumed her position and rose from the couch.

"If you do that then Mikoto may start to follow you everywhere." Kusanagi resumed laughing followed by Koyuki. Mikoto glared at his so called friend.

"That's okay. It really makes no difference if I make for one, or two. Are you hungry Kusanagi?"

"No thanks, I ate before I got here."

"Mikoto, sausage or bacon?"

"Bacon."

Koyuki smiled before twirling around in her skirt and headed into the kitchen. Mikoto stood up pulling out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and snapped his fingers to light it. He slowly moved over to the counter and casually leaned against one of the bar stools anxiously awaiting his second breakfast. Kusanagi also stood up and took his usual place behind the bar. A few minutes later, Koyuki comes out with two plates and places one where Mikoto was sitting and one right next to him. Mikoto eyed the extravagant amount of food placed artistically on his plate. On the plate was a perfectly yellow mountain of scrambled eggs garnished with parsley, a stack of toast cut diagonally with butter glistening off of the crispy bread and many, many strips of glorious bacon. The whole plate was garnished with various fruits which Mikoto paid no attention to. Kusanagi looked over the counter at the difference between portion sizes in the two.

"I guess that's the difference between a man's breakfast and a woman's breakfast." He stated. Koyuki laughed though Mikoto had already started his feast. "You may not act like a king but you sure do eat like one." Koyuki giggled on how true that was.

"It's a hard task but he knows he has to do it, gotta reap the rewards." Koyuki joked.

"That's a lot of bacon, do we even have any left?"

"There's lots more."

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself your royal kingship? You haven't said a word since you started eating." Kusanagi nagged.

"Shut up, I'm eating." He said. At first Koyuki was surprised by this little outburst but then she laughed again.

"That means he likes it." Kusanagi confirmed. "So, Koyuki, one thing we never asked you was the powers that you obtained when the red aura was given to you. I ask you just to find out about your examination later today." Koyuki figured that Kusanagi knew that she asked Mikoto to take her aura away. It was still a slightly touchy subject for her but it was not something that she was bitter about with the bar owner she even found herself able to forgive Mikoto after he explained to her that he did it to save her life.

"Let's see… I vaporized water, melted materials, super human strength, torched a building…"

"That's all standard stuff. Most of the guys are able to do that but some of them have abilities unique to only themselves." Kusanagi interrupted.

"There's one thing that I don't think that is related to the red aura. I have seen people's memories and maybe even their futures." Mikoto lowered his fork and looked over to her along with his partner.

"When did that happen?" The fiery haired male asked.

"That day I burnt down the café. I got very upset at a coworker and I shoved her but as soon as I made the physical contact, I saw into her past and I understand now why she is the way she is. Another time I saw how someone would die. It was so clear but very fuzzy at the same time." The boys looked at one another yet again. This was not part of the aura.

"I think I know why they're getting you in for some more tests." Kusanagi began.

"Really, why?"

"This kind of power is not something that Mikoto can pass down. You must have jumpstarted some of your other abilities that you may have had before you received your aura. Those types of beings are called strains." Kusanagi explained.

"I don't remember ever having this ability before."

"The Gold Clan operates an improved strain research center there they could answer those types of questions for you." Kusanagi began. He didn't want to mention the incident that they destroyed the old research center but was aware of the Gold Clan rebuilding it and using it for the betterment of strains instead of inhumane experiments that have been conducted in their old facility.

"My guess is that they're going to send you over to that research center. They have their top guys working there to educate and train strains to control their abilities." Mikoto explained before resuming his breakfast.

"That would be helpful." Koyuki said taking the last few mouthfuls of her food. She looked over from her empty plate eyes popped open after noticing that Mikoto had finished his mountain of a plate before she did.

The sun started to grow warm and cherry blossom pedals were blowing in the same wind that ruffled Koyuki's hair. Finally the isolation and coldness of the winter was at an end. Ever since her conversation with Mikoto this morning she felt with every step she takes she was closer and closer to floating away. Never before had she thought of herself as strong but the way that Mikoto explained it she could see how he viewed her that way. Koyuki found herself smiling as she continued to walk and thought it was funny how she was in tears the night before and how someone's words would be enough to change that into a smile that lasted with her. Had anyone else said those words to her, she may not have taken it so seriously. The day was truly beautiful.

As soon as she came to the examination center, she walked inside but was stopped by a crowd of people including doctors up at the reception desk. The air was thick and grim. There were two men dressed in black high collared robes that had gold trim along the slits by the shoulder and bottoms. They seemed to be the targets that everyone swarmed around but they weren't interested in answering anybody's questions. When they observed Koyuki come through the doors, they asserted their way out of the group and stood high above them. The two men wore a gold mask that covered their entire face with abstract marks etched and painted on. As they neared her they removed the masks.

"Koyuki Tsukasa? We are Goro and Chuu from the Gold Clan and we would like to speak to you in another room." The taller of the two asked. Slightly confused, Koyuki nodded and followed the two pushing their way through the crowd and into the room where she had her physical examination done. The two doctors from last time were already in there sitting at the floating computer screens.

"What's going on up there?" She dared to ask.

"There has been some speculation going around about Dr. Ritsuke being murdered and we were informed that a week ago you predicted the scenario. Could you please explain to us what you saw?" Chuu asked in a deep authoritative tone.

"He did die didn't he?" She commented. The two members of the gold clan glanced at another before they added to that comment.

"Yes. However, we are not making this information available to the public. We would like to see if your prediction matches up with his actual death."

"I understand. He was murdered somewhere dark. I couldn't see a whole lot of details exactly but it was very bloody. It seemed like it was someone he knew. Dr. Ritsuke was stabbed seven times in his chest. That's all I could make out."

"Thank you for your answer." Chuu bowed.

"It's true that Dr. Ritsuke was murdered." Goro began. "He was found dead this morning at his home with seven blade punctures to his chest. After having his body examined his time of death was determined to be 12:00 last night by one of his former business partners."

"In Dr. Ritsuke's younger years he and a comrade, Hoshijiro, developed and produced cocaine and sold it on the streets to help them pay their way through med school however the partnership split and the two went their separate ways. Dr. Ritsuke took over the operations and had Hoshijiro removed from the scene. After 20 years, Hoshijiro eventually made his way back to Shizume City and found Dr. Ritsuke living the life he should have been living. Out of revenge, Hoshijiro murdered his old partner." Chuu finished. Koyuki suddenly shuddered.

 _I really saw his death didn't I? What's happening to me and why now? I don't want to see these visions. I feel so heavy._ Koyuki thought to herself.

"We won't be conducting any more tests in this center but we require you to continue elsewhere." Chuu started. "You are to come with us to the Research Center today. There we provide aid and education to people such as yourself that have special gifts. Our plan is to run you through some more tests then pair you up with one of the counselors there that can provide you with one on one training on how to use and manage your powers at will. Your progress will be tracked each day. This requires you to be at the facility for at least four weeks with no contact with the outside world. You will have your own dorm area and your meals will be taken care of." Koyuki struggled with the crossroads in her mind. They made it clear to her that his offer was mandatory. She found it great that she could grow and understand herself more but on the other hand, what would everyone at HOMRA say? What would Mikoto say? Surely he would be questioning if she was running away since she seemed to have developed a bad habit. She didn't even know when she would be back but she really had no choice.

"Okay. May I please have a minute to let my friends know? I need to borrow a phone."

"Yes but please keep as much of the details to yourself possible." Goro nodded.

"Thank you." Koyuki said before they gave her permission to use the faculty's phone line. She dialed out to Kusanagi as he was technically her employer but she also wanted to let Mikoto know.

Kusanagi pulled out his phone out of his back pocket after feeling it vibrate and took out the cigarette in his mouth before he answered. His forehead wrinkled not recognizing the number.

"Kusanagi here." He answered. "Koyuki!" Mikoto sat up in the couch beside him.

"I'm sorry but it's like Mikoto said. The Gold Clan wants me to go to the Research Center right away."

"Say no more. It's probably mandatory for you to go there. The Gold Clan is well respected and knows what they are doing. As long as you're a part of HOMRA you don't have anything to worry about… hey. Are you alright Koyuki?" There was a noise over the line that sounded like weeping and Kusanagi turned to his red haired partner and explained the situation. Mikoto took the phone right out of his companion's hands.

"What's happening?" He asked calmly over the phone. Butterflies emerged from their cocoons that were nested inside of her stomach. She wiped her eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little nervous is all. Don't worry about me. Did Kusanagi tell you?"

"Yeah." Mikoto got up from the couch and walked the PDA with him up to his room and closed the door. He headed straight for his bed. "They will help you."

"I don't know how long I will be gone for…"

"Don't worry about it. You're strong, you've got this. This is something that you have to do for yourself. We'll be here waiting for you when you get back." Mikoto said and she could hear him smiling at her through those words. Koyuki bowed her head and smiled as well.

"I will come back. I promise." Mikoto's smile grew.

"Hm." He hummed.

"Thank you, Mikoto." She said finally.

"See you when you get back."

"Bye." Koyuki finally hung up then nodded to the two Gold Clansmen. She walked beside the two and they led her outside into the back of a luxurious black car adorned with the unique crest of the Gold Clan in the middle of the grill and had very dark tinted windows. Guro and Chuu got in on either side of her and instructed for the driver to take them away.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: So sorry for not posting in a while. I had plans on posting this chapter on Valentines day but suddenly my laptop wouldn't connect to the internet no matter what I did and basically I need a new laptop. This chapter is my favorite chapter to date.**

HOMRA was full of the usual occupants but they were all lazing around feeling slightly depressed over the loss of one of their clansmen even if it was temporary. Everything just wasn't the same without her, even Tatara wasn't as perky as he usually was but that didn't stop him from trying to cheer up his fellow clansmen. He paced back and forth in the downstairs bar area.

"I can't believe how down everyone has been since Koyuki left. Mikoto's been upstairs a lot more too. It's almost two months since we last saw her. I gotta find something for everyone to do to take their mind off of it but what?" Tatara thought then he gasped and made an announcement with his arms wide open. "Hey everyone, we should go out for lunch and have a picnic seems how it's so beautiful and warm outside."

"It's too hot to think about food." A now very skinny Kamamoto complained.

"I remember when Koyuki was here. Her food was delicious." Dewa mentioned. All the boys nodded in agreement.

"I remember when she would bring her cooking for Kusanagi to sell she would always make one extra one for me and she would say 'don't tell Kusanagi'." Bandou cried.

"What do ya mean she made you an extra one?" Chitose's voice rose.

"I was her favorite."

"I thought you said you dreamed about that." Shouhei said quietly in the background.

"The hell you were. I was her favorite." Yata shouted.

"Chihuahua, favorite?" Eric laughed and Kosuke shook his head while holding a kitten in his arms. "You're too afraid to talk to her for you to be her favorite."

"Shut your mouth or I'll come shut it for you, ya bastard." Yata protested raising a fist. All of the boys stood up and held each other by the collars of their shirts, teeth gritting together and ready for combat but Kusanagi stepped in.

"Alright all of you shut up or you'll be cleaning the toilets for a month." Kusanagi roared above the commotion from the second floor. Everyone's faces dropped and sat back down in their spots. "Koyuki called this morning and she said that she'll be back on Thursday." Everyone's faces sparked.

"Thursday? That's three days." Kamamoto celebrated.

"Hey, we should have a welcome home party for her." Tatara announced.

"Hey that's a great idea." Everyone agreed. "We'll decorate, have a hibachi feast. We'll get her a new PDA for a present too."

"How are you gonna afford that genius?" Yata asked in a mocking tone.

"I'm glad you asked. This requires everyone's participation. Seems how it is warming up so much outside and the rainy season is over, I propose we do a…

"ALL MALES IN SPEEDO'S CARWASH!" Tatara presented dynamically. Everyone's faces scrunched and fell backwards at the thought of them all in speedos.

"That's your great idea?" Chitose asked with his arms folded across his chest. Tatara nodded. "Let's do it." He concluded. Again everyone but he and Tatara fell backwards again.

"Chitose?"

"It's actually a pretty good idea. Everyone's cars are dirty. We get in to our swimming trunks, not speedos, attract lots of girls that are sure to pay us the big bucks for our services… if you know what I mean."

"You sick son of a bitch." Yata complained. "No way in hell I'm putting on a speedo in front if a bunch of girls."

"But it's for Koyuki. Her PDA broke. Think of how happy she will be when she sees the newest PDA model that she got before it was released to the public." Kamamoto sang. Everyone pictured her in their minds with beautiful tears of joy sparkling across her smiling face. The boys began to tear up.

"…Fine then… for Koyuki!" Yata shouted pumping his fist in the air and everyone joined him.

"Okay everyone, into your speedos. We start as soon as everyone's ready." Tatara called.

"So this was your great idea of washing people's cars in speedos IN THE RAIN?" Yata shouted standing by the window with the boys of HOMRA all in their swimming trunks.

"Hey it wasn't raining fifteen minutes ago when we all left to get changed." Tatara shrugged.

"Okay we need to think of another plan." Shouhei said calmly.

"Hey, why is Anna here in a bikini and holding a money box?" Bandou noticed.

"We are to attract girls and girls are attracted to hot guys in speedos sweating in the heat and they also love young cute girls wearing frills like Anna's swimwear." Chitose explained. The gang turned their heads to the creaking staircase. As they came downstairs, Kusanagi and Mikoto awkwardly eyed the mob of speedos and the mob eyed them back with very tense muscles.

"Did we miss something?" Mikoto asked puzzled. Sweat dropped from Kusanagi's face.

"It's a little too wet to go swimming outside guys." He said.

"We weren't going to go swimming we were going to wash cars." Kosuke informed.

"In the rain?"

"We wanted to get Koyuki a welcome home present and we were going to wash cars in speedos so that we can make some money from girls and Anna is our mascot but things aren't really working out so well." Tatara laughed nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Okay, whatever your plan is don't wreck my bar." Kusanagi said before he and Mikoto walked out the front door.

"Well this sucks. Now what are we going to do?" Dewa asked.

"We can always pawn one of Kusanagi's pictures he has in the spare bedroom." Eric suggested. Everyone considered it for a while. He's never hung them up since he got them and they were just sitting leaning against the wall with a bed sheet covering them so that they don't get dusty.

"YOU IDIOTS! THAT WAS MY PAINTING OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I PAINTED BY DUNCAN GILES WENTWORTH! I WAS GONNA HANG THAT UP ONE DAY! IT'S THE ONLY ONE OF IT'S KIND! IT'S WORTH 1000000000000000 YEN! MORE THAN ALL OF YOUR MISERABLE LIVES COMBINED! BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!" Everyone imagined Kusanagi's reaction.

"Erm we better not." Tatara smiled.

"Yeah that could be dangerous." Bandou agreed.

"Do you have any idea's Anna?" The attractive Kamamoto asked leaning down to her level.

"Everyone could sell their blood." Anna suggested. Everyone's ears perked up.

"Only got 300 yen." Chitose said looking at the cluster of coins in his hand after the boys of HOMRA walked out of the blood bank into the rain. "Hey, how much do we have all together?"

"I think I'm gonna hurl." Yata groaned being supported by Tatara and Kamamoto on either side. Bandou also had to be supported by Shouhei and Kosuke.

"2495 yen." Dewa answered.

"Crap."

"I think Yata should go in and sell an organ." Eric mocked.

"What'd you say dirt bag?" Yata's head snapped up and ran after Eric but was restrained by Tatara and Kamamoto.

"We could walk dogs." Kosuke suggested.

"Great idea Kosuke." Tatara complimented.

"Yeah, I love dogs!" Yata supported.

"I hate dogs." Yata complained limping out of the hospital with everyone covered in gauze bandages, casts and crutches. "Damn Rottweilers."

"Man that poodle really messed you up huh Kamamoto." Shouhei commented looking over to the man with his arm in a sling.

"What are we sitting at now?" Dewa asked Tatara. Tatara put a hand over the wrappings that were secure around his head.

"In total we have 9231 yen. How much do we need to get her the new PDA model?"

"I think its 130,000 yen." Kosuke said looking up the price on his own PDA.

"Wait a sec!" Yata piped up. "There's an indoor skaters rink nearby and they're holding a competition. I could enter and win the prize money."

"There we go. That's using your head Yata." Tatara celebrated.

"While you do that, the rest of us should go pick up bottles and take them over to the depot for some change." Shouhei added.

"Okay we'll meet back when we're all done to count up what we have." Tatara sang.

"I can't believe you got in second place." Eric spoke to a fuming Yata.

"Hey if it wasn't for that Pony Rawk paying off the judges I would have whooped all their asses."

"Luckily you got some prize money being in second."

"Yeah, 65000 f***ing yen. Why did you follow me anyways?!"

"Hey guys how did it go?" Tatara asked as the two posy's regrouped.

"Crappy. Got second. 65000 yen. How did the bottles go?" Yata answered.

"12952 yen."

"So we're at 87183. Not bad we're getting close."

"Hey where's Kamamoto?" Yata asked looking around for his skinny buddy.

"He went out with some girls. He seems to be getting more popular ever since he lost all that weight." Chitose sighed feeling like he's old news with the ladies.

"That good for nothing…"

"Hey we're so close. We only have 42817 yen left." Tatara encouraged.

"I can't believe it's been raining this whole time and Koyuki comes back tomorrow." Eric spoke to himself in English.

"Bandou went over to the mall and did some break dancing for tips." Shouhei said patting a very nervous looking Bandou on the back while showing the earnings.

"Shut up!"

"Only 36580 left." Tatara counted then Dewa handed a bag of loose change. "What's this?"

"I went to all of the fountains in Shizume city and picked up all the change that was in them. It wasn't much." Dewa said.

"Great that's 100654 yen." Tatara said. "Any other ideas?"

"That's not too much left. I can come up with the rest." Chitose started. "I'm pro at gambling and seems how I'm almost the only one of age, I'll take that responsibility."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Tatara interrupted. "Gambling can be really dangerous and you can lose a lot if you're not careful."

"Don't sweat it, we got lots of money I can use to make back what I lost. I've played with some big time all stars back in the day and they're not all that tough."

"Well okay then, I believe you. It's for Koyuki." Tatara said.

"I can't believe you gambled away all of our hard earned cash." Dewa pouted walking into HOMRA bar with the rest of the slouching failures. Some of the boys were too angered to talk to the loser and others were on the verge of tears.

"I am a good gambler. I just suck at black jack. It was the only open spot available and I was desperate." Chitose practically yelled. "Now Koyuki's never gonna get the new PDA."

"What's Eric have to commit to all of this? You're the only one who hasn't contributed to the cause." Yata shouted pointing a finger at the moody English speaker.

"F*** you Chihuahua." Eric said under his breath with his hood up. Yata was after him and pulled on the strings of his hoodie so tight that he was hoping to smother him. Eric screamed.

"This isn't how I wanted it to turn out." Tatara gazed out the window resting his fist on his face. "All of our hard work, down the drain. Now what are we going to get her?" Just then Kamamoto walked through the door with his hands in his pockets. Everyone looked up at him a few stared angrily.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He asked. Yata grabbed him by the shirt after dropping an asphyxiated Eric down on the ground.

"What's up? What's up?! I'll tell you what's up! While you were off fooling around with girls we were all hard at work earning money to get Koyuki a new PDA!" Yata cussed.

"So how did you do?" Kamamoto asked.

"We lost it." Dewa said squinting his eyes at Chitose's direction.

"What do you mean you lost it?"

"Somebody said they were a pro gambler then went ahead on a losing streak." Yata complained.

"Gee that sucks."

"So what did you do while we were gone?" Chitose asked curiously.

"Well I hung out with some girls I knew in their limo and we had a couple of drinks together. I asked the girls if they wanted to spare any money for me to get a new PDA and they all donated some."

"Really? How much did they give you?" Yata asked loosening his grip on Kamamoto's top.

"30000 yen altogether."

"Well that's not 130000 yen but it's enough to buy an older model PDA. At least it's something to give." Tatara pointed out. "Okay, seems how its late tonight, tomorrow we'll pick up the PDA in the morning before she gets here after we've finished decorating." Everyone nodded in agreement.


	13. Chapter 13

"Thank you so much for all of the help." Koyuki said bowing outside the Research Center to Goro and Chuu on a sunny afternoon.

"We are most pleased with your improvement." Goro said.

"You have come a long way in a short amount of time. You truly put your heart into this." Chuu said bowing along with Goro.

"Yes, I tried my best."

"Your driver will take you back to HOMRA bar as you requested." Koyuki exchanged her goodbyes with the members of the gold clan and walked past the reflective puddles on her way to her carriage where her shofer awaited holding the back door open for her like royalty. As the vehicle gently pulled away from the curb, Koyuki reflected on her time spent at the Research Center. She felt she had grown so much in her abilities and made her more confidant as a person. She was sure of herself that she could control her powers at will and knew when it was necessary to summon them. Her mentor spoke to her many times that her powers are a heavy burden for one to carry and must only be used for good. Koyuki prayed that she could be helpful to the Red Clan and serve the Red King, Mikoto Suoh.

She smiled.

How she missed everyone at the bar. The loud chaos was something she had found most comfortable instead of being alone in her quiet quarters of the Research Facility. She missed that bond that everyone shared despite the threats and violence. Even though they were all young and a lot of them hot tempered, they had each other's backs when it really came down to it. One thing that bound everyone together was the fact that they all respected and served the same king with their lives. Even though she feared Mikoto she still missed him. It was the moment when he encouraged her and called her strong that she dubbed him as a king she would willingly serve even if she did not wield the aura. It was him that pushed her through the two month span to hold on and not give up. Now it was her turn to serve him.

The vehicle pulled up into an open parallel parking spot a few spaces over from HOMRA bar. The driver got out of his seat to walk over to the back right passenger side and opened the door with a bow. Koyuki stepped out of the vehicle into a puddle on the sidewalk before turning around and thanking the driver. She was only a few steps away from going back and resuming the life she had two months ago. Her heart grew warm with delight as she placed her hand on the cold brass door knobs and pushed in.

"Welcome home, Koyuki!" Everyone sang. Confetti fell from the ceiling above her and floated down around her. Tatara high fived Chitose with the hand that he wasn't holding his camera with. Kusanagi shook his head at the guys and Mikoto smirked. After the storm had cleared, Koyuki looked around at everything and everyone with a teary smile. HOMRA was beautifully decorated with bright coloured balloons and streamers placed strategically throughout the bar. She looked at all of the familiar faces that she missed so much then stopped when she got to someone that she had never seen.

"Huh? Who's this?" She asked peering up and down at a skinny tanned guy with shoulder length blonde hair. Everyone laughed. "When did you guys recruit a new member?"

"That's not a new member, that's Kamamoto." Kusanagi explained. Koyuki squinted at him as he smiled back at her.

"What happened?" She asked. Bandou, Yata, Chitose, and Shouhei all burst out laughing with the occasional snort.

"Whenever the weather gets warm and summer gets close, I lose my appetite and my hair starts growing fast. I haven't had the time to get it cut. It'll probably happen after summer." Koyuki chuckled along with everyone else.

"Thanks so much everyone. I can't believe you did this all for me." She looked around the room before locking eyes with Mikoto who was standing in the back of the group holding Anna's hand. Her heart beat irregularly as a welcoming smile spread across his lips.

"Aright, who's ready for hibachi?" Tatara asked holding up a finger.

"Hibachi? You guys really went all out." Koyuki said. Tatara ran in the kitchen with Kamamoto. Kusanagi set up a few grills on top of four tables and plugged them into the walls as other boys set the tables with plates and chopsticks. Koyuki took a seat in one of the chairs as everyone ran around the downstairs prepping for the meal to come. Mikoto joined her at the table and Anna sat down. It had been two months since she had seen Mikoto and she still blushed in front of him. "I see you've even decided to join the party, Mikoto." She teased.

"I heard there was food involved so I thought I could afford to spend a few moments down here." He smirked. Tatara brought around a dish of raw meat and Kamamoto brought raw vegetables to each table. All of the boys picked out a table with food and began by placing a piece of raw meat on the grills and monitored its temperature. Koyuki poured herself some tea from a traditional cast iron teapot before she started her cooking. At her table sat Mikoto, Anna, Kusanagi and Tatara.

"Aren't you going to start eating, Koyuki?" Tatara asked as she took a mouthful of the unsweetened green tea. She gently placed the cup down on its coaster.

"I will, just starting off with some tea. It's funny how Kusanagi's English bar has got a weird mixture of Japanese traditions in with it now." Kusanagi chuckled.

"What's one day of a traditional meal." He replied using his chopsticks to grab a hunk of meat. "So, tell us a little of your adventures."

"It was very exhausting. I didn't have any contact outside of the Research Center the entire time. I spent a lot of it meditating and working with my mentor. The Gold Clan is very high tech when it comes to monitoring and training Strains."

"That they do. I've been in there a few times myself. It's very impressive. The Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji, is in charge of all of the economics in Japan and pretty much runs the country himself but your average citizens don't know that. It makes sense that their facilities are the best of the best especially after the incident at the last Research Center." Kusanagi explained. Mikoto looked over to Anna as her head lowered. Koyuki went in for a piece of meat but Tatara giggled as he playfully snatched it away from her. Mikoto punched him in the head. "Leave some for the lady." Kusanagi ordered.

"Sorry." He said.

"Did they give you any trouble there?" Mikoto asked putting a medium rare piece of beef in his mouth.

"Not really. They acknowledged me as a strain and since I am with HOMRA, they didn't need to take certain measures, not really sure what that means."

"We'll talk more in depth later when there aren't any kids around." Kusanagi said pointing to the group of boys behind him.

"Hey who are ya callin' kids?" A few of them shouted.

"Eat your vegetables." Kusanagi called back. Koyuki and Anna went for the last piece of cooked pork. Koyuki being the slightly faster one took it and put it on Anna's plate. Anna smiled to her gratefully. As Tatara finished eating, he took his plate away then returned with his video camera back in his hands and captured the moment.

"And here we have the return of the lovely lady Koyuki. Everyone missed her so we decided to throw her a welcome home party after being gone for two months." He narrated zooming into everyone at her table.

"The man with a thousand hobbies. You haven't filmed anything for a while." Kusanagi mentioned.

"Yeah this is a special occasion. I want to save this moment in history." Tatara walked backwards and sideways trying to capture everyone in the room. Koyuki didn't like the camera around but she did agree with Tatara that his was a special time that the memory should be saved. Dishes got carried away into the kitchen and everyone sat around in one big circle prepping for the next event.

"Alright everyone gather around." Kusanagi called. "It's time for presents." Tatara continued to film. Mikoto came downstairs with a box wrapped in wrapping paper. "Mikoto and I threw together some money to get this for you." Koyuki received the gift from the red haired king and looked down at the strange choice in wrapping paper.

"Happy birthday?" She read.

"Sorry, it was all we had left from Anna's birthday." Kusanagi chuckled. Koyuki disregarded the paper and began to tear the paper by the seams. All of the other guys wanted to know what was inside just as much as Koyuki and Tatara zoomed in so that he was just capturing the gift. Her face dropped in disbelief when the veil was lifted from the box then looked up at the two older men. All of the other boy's jaws plummeted.

"I can't believe you got me this. A brand knew PDA."

"It's the newest one and it hasn't been available for the public to purchase. Mikoto and I had to pull some strings to get that for you." Kusanagi explained.

"Thank you so much." Koyuki jumped up and embraced Kusanagi in one arm and Mikoto in the other. All of the other boys felt defeated.

"How the hell did you manage to get that?" Yata questioned. Koyuki pulled away and sat back down in her chair and looked at the unopened box.

"This is the money I made while working at the bar, unlike all you good for nothings."

"We all got Koyuki something too." Kamamoto said. Bandou walked up to Koyuki and handed her a sparkly gift bag with purple tissue paper garnishments.

"We should have got that on film so that she could appreciate all the effort we gave." Chitose whispered to the back half of the group. Tatara continued to film. Koyuki picked out the tissue paper and dropped them on the floor next to the birthday wrapping paper. She reached inside the gift bag and pulled out an open box of an old used PDA.

"Oh." Her face fell. "Another PDA."

"Awkward." Dewa sang.

"Why didn't you tell us you wanted to get her a PDA?" Kusanagi questioned.

"Because we wanted to out do you rich asses and make you look bad." Eric spoke.

"Looks like you're the idiots that got outdone." Mikoto smirked.

"Aw king!" Yata whined.

"We worked our asses off to try to get her the newest model but somebody had to go and gamble all of our hard earned cash away." Bandou nagged.

"Black jacks not my thing." Chitose shrugged. Koyuki laughed along with Tatara and Kusanagi.

"Thank you so much everyone for the gifts." She bowed. "You're all amazing."

"Let's hear it for the return of Koyuki." Tatara celebrated and everyone cheered with him. The rest of the time everyone hung and continued the party. Shouhei, being the one with the most knowledge of technology, helped Koyuki set up her **new** PDA and she put everyone's numbers in right away. Kusanagi offered everyone some drinks even though most of the guys were under age. Mikoto sat at the bar stool closest to Kusanagi and sipped on his beverage and watched the rowdy group of guys. He was glad that everyone was having a good time. A few of the boys had a little too much to drink that Kusanagi had to interfere and threaten them with dirty work if they didn't take it down a notch. After Mikoto finished the last of the liquid that was left in his glass full of ice, he decided to head upstairs to get away from the racket. Koyuki sat with Anna the only other person who hadn't been drinking and watched her play with her marbles. She was amazed on how fascinated Anna was with those marbles and she asked her about it surprised to find out that she was also a strain. Koyuki looked around the noisy room and noticed that Mikoto was nowhere to be seen. Many minutes later she decided that it was time for her to head out for the evening but she wanted to say good night to the king before she left. Koyuki told Anna that she wanted to talk to Mikoto then she would leave for the night. Mikoto sat up from his bed after hearing a light knock on the door as if he knew he would have company. He relaxed when Koyuki's smiling face looked through the open door.

"Are the guys too loud for you down there?" Mikoto asked taking a cigarette out of his mouth and crushing it in a nearby ashtray. Koyuki giggled before she replied.

"I just wanted to say good night to you before I headed out."

"Alright." Was all he said. Koyuki looked at him for a moment realizing that something about him seemed a bit off since she got there.

"Is something the matter?" She tilted her head to the side her ponytail rested on.

"Nothing. Did you have a good time tonight?" Was Mikoto opening up? She had a feeling in her gut that he wanted to say something to her but being the king that he is; he wouldn't just out and say it. She could see it in his eyes, that same look that she too sometimes had. He didn't always have that look but it seemed so familiar to her. Koyuki closed the door and took a few steps closer to him and sat down on a nearby chair with her back straight.

"I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for the PDA." Koyuki smiled. A single breath of a chuckle passed through his nostrils.

"Don't mention it."

"Mikoto." His eyes locked with hers. She was determined to find out what was on his mind. "You always take it upon yourself to look after everyone here at HOMRA and I get the feeling that you're so tired is because you don't take any time for yourself. Being a king is a heavy burden but even the most powerful people have their limits. You don't always have to act tough. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be there to listen." Koyuki promised. A smile spread across her face. "You promised to protect me now I promise to look after you." It took a while for Mikoto to respond to that, his face didn't even show anything until one side of his mouth lifted. This was the first step she thought. If nothing happens tonight at least he will think about it.

Koyuki stood up from her chair and brushed the creases out of her skirt in a very ladylike fashion before bowing to her king. "Good night." She whispered before walking out of his room. When she closed the door behind her, she leaned against the wall for a moment. _He is thinking about something I just know it. What will it take to get him to talk to me?_ She thought. When Koyuki heard the door open behind her she twirled around. "Miko-" his name was cut off by his lips crashing on top of hers pressing her firmly against the wall. Her eyes widened at the shock of his actions but soon closed as she got used to the rhythm of his lips overtop of hers and kissed him back. His lips were so soft and warm. Koyuki couldn't remember feeling this same sensation washing over her as she did last time their lips met. Mikoto's eyes were also closed as he still had her against the wall with his hand under her chin and other arm rested against the wall above her head. Eventually he pulled away from her and looked back into her eyes with a soft smile. His golden eyes that once were piercing practically melted with her sapphire eyes. Her heart raced as they stood together in silence so close to one another, Koyuki could smell the nicotine that came from his breath.

"Don't ever leave here for good." He said but Koyuki took it that was his hearts wish.


	14. Chapter 14

Just as the event of the first time Mikoto laid his lips on her were starting to vanish from her head, Mikoto rekindles that flame in her heart. Koyuki's mind had once again been on him since last night when he kissed her again. This time her feelings for him were right. She had grown to admire and look up to him and she sincerely wanted him to open up to her so that she could share the burden that he carried around with him. There was a much deeper reason to his words than just admiration like in his own way he was calling out for help. Maybe he was trying to tell her that the first time they kissed.

"Anna, watch out." Koyuki gasped. Anna lost control of the blender and raw batter coated an uneven portion of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"It's okay. It's part of learning. I've done that many times too." Koyuki said wetting a cloth then began to wipe up the blended butter, sugar and cream. Anna helped her.

"Can I try again?"

"Sure, after we get this mess cleaned up before Kusanagi sees." Anna nodded as she began scrubbing the floor.

Anna wanted to bake a red velvet cake with Koyuki so that she could give it to Mikoto later but she got frustrated with herself after her concoction ended up on the ceiling that she gave a heavy sigh when cleaning up. Koyuki felt bad as she wiped the wall. Her mind was on Mikoto almost the entire day and because of that she was out of it when she should have been helping Anna.

"I'm sorry Anna, this is my fault. I wasn't paying attention." Koyuki said after they finished cleaning up. She took the rag from Anna's hands and wiped her cheek. "You got cream on your face."

"Are you thinking about him?" Anna asked. Koyuki knew she couldn't hide it from Anna. Even if she denied it, Anna knew she would be lying. She nodded. "You want to help him don't you? Even the strongest can break. Mikoto needs someone like you." Anna sensed with her clairvoyant abilities.

"Yeah, I'm worried about him. He's got amazing strength but I feel that that strength makes him feel lonely."

"He dreams a lot. He sleeps a lot but it's not always peaceful." Anna said. Koyuki's eyes widened. Did he have nightmares? That means even Mikoto is afraid of something. The feared hot tempered Red King was afraid.

"You and I, Anna, are going to find out what's bothering him and we're going to help him." Koyuki stated. Anna nodded affirming with what she just said then she walked over to the pantry and opened up both doors.

"We're out of sugar." She said.

"I guess that means we better get some before we can make another one."

"Where are you going?" Kusanagi asked from behind the counter as the two girls proceeded towards the door. The countertops practically mirrored the image of the objects rested on them. Kusanagi wiped his hands down then continued on the counter.

"Just going to go pick up some sugar. We had a little accident and had to redo the recipe." Koyuki replied putting a hand on the brass door handle. Her face became puzzled as Anna abandoned her to run upstairs away from the door. Her little footsteps could be heard tapping against the wooden floor upstairs until she got to a particular room then they came running back downstairs. "What's going on?" Koyuki asked out loud just before Anna returned.

"Mikoto's coming too." Anna said. Koyuki blushed.

It was a little awkward as the three of them walked down the street for Koyuki. The awkwardness was a very familiar feeling for her. She thought that people viewed them as a family; a mother and father out for a walk with their daughter. Mikoto was the one who said 'welcome to the family' but this seemed a little more bizarre. Anna walked in between the two.

"So how's your PDA working?" Mikoto asked being the first one to break the silence.

"It works great. I can actually speak to someone's face with this model. The one that I had before didn't have all of the functions this one has. I can search the web straight from this one too." She spoke. "Hey, isn't the store this way?"

"I missed my morning walk. Anna wanted you to come with us before you go get your stuff." Mikoto said with his hands in his jacket pocket. They stood outside the entryway to a park with a trail.

"As long as Kusanagi doesn't get mad at me for being late." She laughed.

"He won't." Mikoto said sounding very confident. Anna ran up ahead of them into the field to get a closer view of a flock of geese that were lounging with their young but she still kept her distance from them.

"Looks like Anna likes animals." Koyuki chuckled then looked over to Mikoto. A warmth flushed over her seeing him smile in Anna's direction. She was close enough that they could still see her in the sunshine but far enough that she couldn't hear them. "I told you before that I have the ability to see peoples past and futures." She started. Mikoto's smile faded from his face as he looked over at her. "They called it Chrono Vision, well, more like an effect of Chrono Vision and it only happens when I make physical contact with a person. Thanks to the training I had, I can control when I use it but I can't see my own future. Futures are much harder to read then pasts and I still struggle with that. If you ever need me to use my abilities just let me know." Surprisingly Mikoto chuckled. "Funny?"

"Here you're telling me about the burden I carry around with me but it seems as though you have your own weight to bear. Knowing things about people that others don't is something I wouldn't want to deal with on a regular basis."

"I try not to think about it." Koyuki said turning away from him. "Anna tells me that you have nightmares often. What kinds of nightmares are they?"

"You have the ability to see my past but you haven't used it to peek on mine?" He questioned playfully. Her face blushed thinking that he was hinting at something. She felt dirty.

"I don't just go around and creep on people, there's stuff I really don't need to see. And also I can't see people's dreams." She whispered the last part so he couldn't hear. Koyuki blushed harder making Mikoto smile. "I want you to tell me on your own terms."

"It's mostly the same thing. Me losing control of my aura." Koyuki's eyes widened. He just out and told her like that with no strings to pull.

"Well that's not likely to happen. You're the most powerful person I know. You're too strong to lose control." Koyuki said. Mikoto looked away. How he wished she was right. Every time he summoned his Sword of Damocles and used his aura, he felt like he was that much closer being consumed by his anger and the power of his aura. It happened to the Red King before him. They would become too strong that they could no longer control themselves causing the Sword of Damocles to come crashing down on them leaving a crater on the face of the earth and now it was a matter of time before it was his turn. She stepped right in front of him so that his eyes locked with hers. "If you think about it, it will consume you. Just focus on the here and now." Mikoto smiled at her efforts. "Come on, tell me what you want to do so we can keep your mind off of it."

"Maybe take a nap here in the sun." Mikoto said falling on his back on the grass and resting with his arms behind his head.

"You're impossible." Koyuki shrugged putting her hands on her hips. Mikoto was quietly watching the clouds go by until he slowly closed his eyes. She sighed as she sat down and joined him still watching Anna in the distance. "Hey Mikoto, when did you first get your powers? What was it like?" She whispered. His eyes slowly opened as he thought back to that day.

"Near the end of high school Tatara started to hang out with Kusanagi and I. He had gotten himself beaten up by a bunch of jerks that landed him in the hospital. Feeling sorry for the kid, I went and taught those scumbags a lesson. In the act of doing so I was filled with an obnoxious rage and became possessed with demonic powers. We'll just say that those guys never bothered Tatara again. Kusanagi was there the entire time and even tried to stop me. As he was trying to hold me back somehow he grabbed onto my right hand and became the first person to receive the aura from the new Red King."

"What happened to Tatara to get himself beat up?"

"It's no secret that I have a violent temper. He had seen me get violent over moral causes. I guess that drew him to me. Ever since then he started following Kusanagi and I around. He always said I would make a good leader, I never understood why. We warned him that hanging around with us could get him in trouble but the idiot ignored that and whenever someone would badmouth me, he would stand up against that."

"Even back then Mikoto Suoh was respected and feared." She laughed. "I wonder how many people have ticked you off." Finding the thought slightly amusing, Mikoto couldn't help but smile knowing that the answer would be countless.

"I think the same way about you. That time Chitose compared you to all girls in front of Yata was the first that I'd witnessed. And when you found out I gave you the aura. You may not be violent but you do have a temper."

"Hey that wasn't anger that was annoyance… okay… I was angry with you but it was justified." She frowned. Mikoto laughed, not like air escaping his nose, a real laugh. It only lasted like a second but it was still a laugh. It was the kind of laugh you do when you're proud of something. Even his laugh made her want to squeal. "You only laugh because you know I'm right." The wind blew through the air pulling leaves off of trees and tossing hair in front of Koyuki's face. They stayed quiet for a moment. Koyuki remembered that day when she found out that Mikoto gave her the red aura. She was so mad. That was the closest thing that she was brought to having a violent temper though she was more of a silent treatment kind of person after confrontation but the reason he gave her was so astonishing and thoughtful that she lost any anger that she had. A blush crept on her face. "That same night… when you took the aura… that kiss was just an excuse wasn't it." She looked over at his closed eyes. Shortly after his eyes slit open he couldn't help but smirk at her.

"Ya got me." He smirked.

"Tch." She looked away from him hiding her annoyed expression but she secretly liked it. "What will the others think?"

"They don't need to know anything. Not yet. Even if they did, they don't have a say in this matter."

"Since when did you start acting all high and mighty?" She teased. He smirked at her again.

"The perks of being a king." He responded.

"The king of slackers is more like it." She whispered. Again there was a long moment of silence. Koyuki felt something that she had never felt before. Something was changing inside of her like there was a void that was gradually being filled. It caused those dormant butterflies to burst into motion in her stomach. Strangely she didn't mind the feeling. It was something she felt she could get used to.

Eventually after the geese took off, Anna came rushing back to the two. She was a ways away, far enough for Mikoto to get one last question in before he was heard by her.

"Friday the guys are taking Anna camping and Kusanagi's meeting up with an old friend. I thought we could do something if you feel like it." _Is Mikoto asking me out on a date?_ She thought. Those butterflies again. Koyuki looked over to him and smiled.

"I would love to." She nodded. Anna stopped by them and tried to catch her breath. Koyuki stood up. "Did you scare the birds away?" Anna smiled.

"No one was giving them food so they went to another park." She explained.

"If they don't eat then they don't grow enough to get eaten." Mikoto said thinking about food.

"Speaking about getting eaten, we should probably get the sugar and head back to the bar before Kusanagi gets mad at Mikoto for sidetracking his workers." Koyuki explained. Anna nodded and Mikoto stood up accompanying them the rest of the way.

Later on that evening, Anna and Koyuki had been working very hard on finishing their cake. They couldn't work on it as soon as they got back from their outing because the bar had a sudden rush of customers that Koyuki helped with. After everything calmed down, Koyuki and Anna worked together in the kitchen to bake the cake then they iced it with a vanilla icing decorated with whole strawberries placed on the top outlining the perimeter of the round cake. The two girls were proud of their work and gave each other a high five when everything was done including the clean up.

"Do you want to take it up to Mikoto in his room?" Koyuki asked looking down at the pale loli. Anna nodded. "Okay, you take the cake and follow me." She passed the cake down to Anna and opened the doors ahead of her on the way up to the king's room and aided her up the stairs. Before they entered the room, Koyuki knocked at Mikoto's door and entered by herself when she was given a response. "How's your night going so far?" Koyuki nervously asked him holding her hands in front of herself trying to make her look as thin as possible.

"Fine. I guess Kusanagi worked you pretty hard today after that rush." Mikoto conversed. Koyuki lightly chuckled in agreement.

"Anna worked so hard today. She wanted to make a cake for you." Koyuki said before opening up the door. Anna walked in carrying the platter with the white cake adorned with strawberries on top and held it right in front of the redhead. Mikoto's eyes brightened.

"We made a cake for you." Anna said. After a moment, Mikoto's eyes softened into a smile and patted the child on the head.

"Looks like you've been taking lessons. You two should hang out more often." He thanked making Anna's face brighten up as well. "What kind of cake is it?"

"Red velvet, but the red is on the inside just like Mikoto's beautiful red." Anna was colourblind and the only colour she could see was from clansmen radiating their clan's coloured aura. She thought that Mikoto's red was the most beautiful red that she had ever seen. The only way she can see colour as it is when she is looking through her red marbles. Somehow that gave her the sight of all the worlds' colour as anyone else sees it but to her it was so much more beautiful.

"You two worked hard in this. I think it's only fair that we split it." Mikoto suggested. Anna nodded and ran downstairs to get three plates, three forks and a cutting knife. When she returned, Mikoto cut the cake and served up the first plate to Anna who was eyeing red on the inside with one of her marbles. Koyuki received the second piece then finally Mikoto cut one for himself. Koyuki and Anna waited until Mikoto sat down with his piece then they all started on their cake together.


	15. Chapter 15

"Mikoto, those thugs are back on our turf." Yata raised his voice as he stormed into the bar with his baseball bat in his batters hand.

"Not again." A few of the guys groaned.

"When are they going to get the message?" Kusanagi sighed. Koyuki was sitting with Anna at a table colouring with her while listening in to the conversation. "Seems we've got no choice. Mikoto, you in on this?" He asked turning to his king.

"Who are these guys?" Koyuki spoke up.

"A group of thugs that have been messing around on our turf distributing drugs. Every time we go to teach them a lesson they keep coming back." Kusanagi explained taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Koyuki's fingers and toes curled into a white knuckled fist with her nails digging into her palms. Mikoto stared at her as she lowered her head. Kosuke, Eric, and Kamamoto stood up almost knocking their chairs over as they rushed outside with Yata. Kusanagi walked around on the opposite side of the bar near the door and turned to the king who got up from the couch.

"If they're gonna keep coming back then they're gonna have to deal with me." Mikoto said in his low husky voice. He started walking away expecting Koyuki to stay out of this but when he heard her chair scrape against the floor he turned over to her.

"I'm coming too." She demanded with her hands still in a fist.

"You sure?" Mikoto asked.

"This will get ugly this time." Kusanagi explained.

"I don't care. I'm going with you." Much to their surprise she marched out the door following Yata and the others. Kusanagi looked back to Mikoto before they two joined the group.

Koyuki and Anna walked nearby to Kusanagi and Mikoto along the busy sidewalk following Yata who was the farthest up ahead. The blue haired heart raced with anxiety wanting to take out anyone who had any relation to her mother with drugs. If there was no one left in Shizume city to supply drugs then maybe her mother would flee town again to a new supplier though she was not sure if the woman was still in town. She felt confident now that she had Mikoto to back her up. This is what HOMRA stood for. HOMRA was all about keeping the streets clean even if it meant using violence to do so but Koyuki would not go to that level.

Anna could sense Koyuki's anxiousness and squeezed Mikoto's hand tighter. He looked down at the Lolita girl who directed his attention to the female beside her. He took out a cigarette out of the pack he kept in his pocket and snapped his fingers to light it. As they walked the came around a corner into the slums of the city the area around them appeared less maintained. Everything was marked with some sort of graffiti and there was garbage littered everywhere. The people that lived on the decaying streets took shelter under a bridge and used whatever they could to put some sort of roof over their heads. As the group walked down the road, the eyes of the locals lifted in fear as the Red King had returned to their district to exterminate the pests. They deepened into the slums and eventually there was no people left on the streets then they came to a rundown warehouse. Gunshots could be heard nearby and the guys rushed over to aid their comrades leaving Koyuki, Kusanagi, Anna and Mikoto behind. Tatara ran up to them.

"Mikoto, it's an all out war going on there. The leader of the gang is apparently tied with the Yakuza and hired a bunch of guys so that when we came they could take us out." He explained. "There are dozens of them inside and we haven't breach the walls yet." Mikoto walked past Tatara with his hands in his pockets and looked back.

"Tatara, stay behind with Koyuki and Anna. I've got a mess to clean up." He said with the cigarette still burning in his mouth. Kusanagi went up and joined his men that were closest to him.

"Right."

"Mikoto, I want to go with you. I need to see the leader." Koyuki almost demanded.

"I can't let you do that."

"But"

"You don't have the aura anymore. It's too dangerous for you to go in there."

"Then give me the aura."

"This is a really bad time for that." Mikoto said turning and walking away.

"Mikoto." Koyuki shouted beginning to run after him but Tatara had to hold her back.

"Koyuki, Mikoto knows what's best. Just stay out of the way on this one." Tatara tried to calm her down.

"You don't understand. I need to find out if he knows the whereabouts of my mother." She yelled loud enough so that Mikoto could hear as he walked into the structure. Kusanagi also snapped his fingers lighting the cigarette in his mouth as he walked with Mikoto.

"What do you think? Should we save her some of the fun?" Kusanagi questioned.

"After we burn everyone else." Mikoto activated his aura and the flames began to build underneath his feet with every step he took. Koyuki's eyes were drawn to the sky as the Sword of Damocles came into form above the building then looked back to the king leaving a trail of fiery footsteps behind. Men with sniper rifles were posted on the roof aiming at Mikoto and Kusanagi but their rounds crumbled as soon as they made contact with his aura. Shouhei and Bandou formed fireballs with their hands and threw them at the snipers while Yata and Kamamoto battled close combat with seven thugs positioned at the only visible entrance. They were outnumbered but fought the seven with ease so that Mikoto and Kusanagi could walk straight in without having to engage in combat.

On the outside the only thing Koyuki could use to assess Mikoto's state of wellbeing was the sword that hovered above everyone's heads. Looking closely she noticed that his Sword of Damocles had slight cracks forming on a couple areas on the shaft and handle that she had never noticed the last time that he summoned his power. She tried to think back to when they abducted Hideki Minawa. That was the first and only time that she had witnessed Mikoto using his power and she hadn't noticed any defects on the sword then. _Was this the result of his nightmares, the fear of him losing control over his powers?_ Koyuki questioned. Her fingers slipped across her palms and noticed how sweaty they had gotten. She turned to Tatara and noticed he too was staring up at the sword in the sky with a slightly concerned look across his features.

"Tatara, Mikoto's sword of Damocles, I don't remember it having cracks in it."

"He's had cracks form on them but it seems like they are getting bigger." He said. Koyuki gasped.

"What does that mean?"

"Mikoto's slowly losing control of himself. He's letting his anger consume him so that he can summon more power."

"What were to happen if the sword were to continue to break?"

"The more it crumbles the more he succumbs to his anger. If it continues, the sword could come crashing down being the end of Mikoto and anyone within a five or more mile radius. Apparently that's what happened to the Red King before Mikoto that lead to the Kagutsu crater. If he were to get killed then that would spare the calamity of that sword wiping out everything in its path down to earth but a king can only get killed by another king." Tatara explained. Koyuki's brows lifted as she looked back up to the Sword of Damocles and noticed a tiny piece of it break away from its main structure.

"What's he thinking going in there? He knows that he may lose it."

"What are we going to do?" Kusanagi questioned playfully as he engaged with a few thugs coming after him and Mikoto. "I thought we ran you people out before." Kusanagi summoned the fire that was in the end of his cigarette and shot it at the ruffians. Mikoto made almost no effort as he landed his red flaming fist on one of their cheeks sending him flying through the wall into another room.

"Where are you hiding?" Yata shouted out referring to the leader skillfully throwing his bat around at enemies. "Come on out and face us ya coward."

"You guys can't take out our king; he's more powerful than you guys combined." A thug threatened. Yata struck his bat against his side.

"Shut the f*** up!"

"Ya hear that Mikoto? Seems like the 'king' himself is in the building instead of sending someone else to do his dirty work." Kusanagi chuckled.

"Looks like we get to meet him in person." Mikoto noted with a dark smirk. "We finally get to drive him out for good."

"Wonderful. You're gonna have some fun this time round." Kusanagi finished as he knocked a guard down.

"What's going on in there? I need to see if everyone's alright." Koyuki panicked. There was no one left on the outside of the building but sights of the aura could be seen lighting up through the broken windows. She found it difficult to keep her feet still.

"I'm sure everyone's doing okay." Tatara gestured trying to calm her down. A clicking sound came from behind the three and they all spun around.

"All right you three come with me NOW!" A disguised voice yelled pointing a pistol at them. Koyuki was the one to gasp the loudest.

"That's everyone in this area." Kusanagi said adjusting his scarf.

"That was almost too easy." Mikoto examined. "The last time we dealt with these guys we had a tougher time."

"Last time we didn't have as many guys here either. Shall we continue?" Kusanagi asked and Mikoto lowered his flaming fists continuing through the wreckage of a door frame. As they walked through the hall, some of the other guys from HOMRA were still engaged in combat. Mikoto and Kusanagi bypassed them to go straight for the boss himself it wasn't until Dewa and Kosuke came running up from a different direction that they stopped.

"King! Tatara, Anna and Koyuki aren't outside anymore." Kosuke explained.

"We didn't see them anywhere inside here either." Dewa added.

"What?" Kusanagi questioned. Mikoto's face shifted to a dark frown. His fists tightened and the fire around them got bigger and wilder. "Now hold on a second, maybe they moved away from the crossfire to safer grounds."

"They could be inside. Dewa, Kosuke, go tell everyone not to burn this place down until we know where they are."

"Right." The two guys sang as they ran off to deliver the message. Flames began to radiate out of Mikoto's body as his anger began to boil. Kusanagi could feel the heat coming from his figure.

"Spread out. We need to find them." Mikoto ordered. Kusanagi did not question it and went down a different hallway. Mikoto summoned his aura to blow a hole through a wall then walked through it until he got to a metal staircase that went down into a basement. He decided to follow it down. It appeared that the area was used recently since there was electricity and every other fluorescent light was on. Every step he took he left behind a burning footprint in the grimy hallway as a result of his rage. He fought with himself and the temptation to light the building on fire and be done with it but he needed to know that his comrades were safe before he held nothing back. The next person he seen he wanted to punch them down on the ground and squeeze their face so tight that his aura began to melt their skin off onto the floor around them but he knew that if he did that and Koyuki found out she may not see him the same way ever again.

After turning a corner in the hallway Mikoto came to a closed heavy metal double door that was five inches thick. It was obviously bullet proof and looked like it locked on the outside and could hold even the most wild of beasts. He ignored the possibilities of this being a trap and proceeded in after the doors welcomingly opened to his will. Of course the doors closed behind him. The room was large enough to hold a military aircraft. At the other end of the room stood a small army of body guards that formed in three lines armed with shotguns and swords. There were at least 20 of them and they all faced him. A man dressed in torn light blue jeans and an army green muscle shirt walked through the crowd and stood in front of Mikoto but knowing better, he kept his distance. His hair was messy like Mikoto's but had it parted down the middle and his black bangs framed his angled face.

"Mr. Suoh, how I dreamed the day would come when I finally get to meet you." The man started opening his arms wide.

"Where are they?" Mikoto interrupted bypassing the small talk.

"You can call me Siege."

"I hate having to repeat myself."

"Oh you can have them back alright… after you surrender." Siege rolled his head. "You see for years this has been our territory, where we do our business, then you HOMRA punks come in and start your own nonsense. Pathetic really."

"Your guys tell me they call you king. What exactly are you king of?" Mikoto mocked and Siege frowned and shifted his weight.

"King of the slums. Nobody comes in and out of this part of town without me knowing it. I have guys undercover at every corner of the streets and with one snap of the fingers –"

"I don't know who you think you are calling yourself a king. All I see is a bunch of cowards hiding in an abandoned building dealing to those who have no purpose. That's real intimidating."

"You bastard."

"I'm already very angry now if you don't tell me where my people are I may just lose control over myself and take you and every one of your men down to the pits of hell with me." Mikoto threatened as his red flames became visible swarming around his figure. Siege took one step back trying to keep his head cool.

"Jolt! The hostages!"


	16. Chapter 16

"Jolt! The hostages!" He called for his trump card. A door on the left side of Mikoto squeaked open and in came two men pointing guns at Tatara and Koyuki's head. Koyuki had her arms protectively around Anna's neck that was standing in front of her. Mikoto frowned tightening every muscle in his body. "There you see, they're still alive. Now maybe you'll think twice about threatening me and my men."

"Mikoto." The three hostages called out to him. Koyuki watched as the king's magnificent fire swirled around his body rising almost to the two story ceiling like it was being influenced by an indoor wind.

"Stay calm, Mikoto." Koyuki prayed.

"Not so tough now are ya? That's what I thought. Now to discuss terms." Siege started. Mikoto's knuckles turned white and his teeth pressed together behind his mouth. He continued to fight against his inner demons to hold them back from making him burn the place up so that there was no ash. "Now which one of these lives do you value the most?" He asked beginning to walk over to the three. He took out a gun from his own pocket and aimed it at Tatara's temple. "Is it this one? What's your name boy?"

"T-Tatara." He shook.

"Tatara? Tatara, how long have you known Mr. Mikoto here?"

"A few years."

"Uh-huh and what does he mean to you?" Siege asked sounding uninterested.

"He's the greatest leader I know. Ever since I met him I knew that he would be someone someday. He and I have gone through a lot together." Tatara started on his long story of his admiration for Mikoto but Siege cut him off.

"That's enough outta you." He shouted firing a shot into the ceiling then he walked over to the other two hostages and bent down to meet a gaze. "How about you? What's your name princess?" He asked pointing a gun under Anna's chin forcing her to face him. She squeezed her eyes shut then Koyuki interfered by moving herself in between Anna and the gun forcing the child to crouch on the ground. Koyuki made herself as big of a shield as she possibly could so that any part of Anna could not be seen or harmed.

"Don't you touch her!" Koyuki yelled shielding Anna as she crouched above her. Surprised by her sudden actions, Siege reached out and grabbed Koyuki by her blue ponytail and lifted her head up so that her eyes faced his intense gray gaze. His eyes alone staring at her felt like an unbearable weight had just dropped on her shoulder that was enough to crush her confidence. She tightened as she was being stared down.

"Trying to be a hero? I don't like heroes." He shouted. Mikoto took a few steps towards them but the army aimed their guns at him and the two guards holding onto Tatara and Anna pressed the cold metal barrel of a gun right into the back of their necks sending a chill of fear down their spines.

"That's because you've never had a hero." Koyuki started.

"What's that supposed to mean bitch?" Siege asked bringing her face closer to his so that she could smell the odor of his teeth rotting from his mouth.

"You and I are kinda alike. We both grew up without our fathers. A father is a child's greatest hero. You lived with your mother but she was always working so that she could afford to clothe you and feed you but you still were without a father."

"How do you know this? What are ya, some kind of witch?" He raised his voice. Koyuki's lip quivered as she tried to find the courage to continue, accepting the consequences that may come with it. Whatever it took to protect Anna.

"Eventually you found your father and you thought you'd finally get the chance to meet him but then you found out he was in jail charged with several counts of murder. This drove you into madness in your adolescent years and now you're just like your father."

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE F*** UP!" Siege yelled as he wailed his fist into Koyuki's stomach making her cough up some vomit. The two that were holding onto Tatara and Anna were caught off guard by their boss freaking out so Tatara took this opportunity to make an escape. Tatara used his aura to slice off the guard's arm that was holding onto the gun then he quickly did the same for Anna's guard then he took her and ran to the other side of the room near Mikoto. The army aimed their guns at Tatara and Anna and began to fire as they were running but Mikoto quickly threw up a shield made of his red aura that disintegrated the bullets as it hit the wall of fire. Koyuki stared in horror at the two arms lying on the ground next to the screaming thugs. Eventually Siege regained his composure and instructed his troops after the Red King.

"Tatara, take Anna and get back to the bar." Mikoto instructed.

"I'll let the others know you're here." Tatara said before he took his leave with Anna. After they left, Siege burst out into a maniacal laughter. Koyuki and Mikoto were confused as to what he found so hilarious.

"I have to admit, I didn't think that kid had it in him to fight. I guess I was wrong about him." Koyuki lifted her head slowly as pain shot from her stomach. She looked over at Mikoto and gave him a reassuring smile. For a brief second Mikoto's eyebrows lifted. He wondered how she could smile in a situation like this when she could be killed at any minute. The smile was something he needed to protect.

"Alright I'll bite. What do you want?" Mikoto asked. Koyuki's face dropped after he said this. Was he giving up so easily? He had a clan to protect. Why would he give up just for one person?

"Ha, seems like even the great Red King has his morals. I kinda respect you for that but don't think that I'm gonna go easy on you. Now let's see what you're made of." Siege said directing 10 of his men after Mikoto. The thugs ran after Mikoto and engaged him in close combat. The men surrounded him and as they closed in on him, Mikoto let his aura run wild setting the men on fire and beating them to a bloody pulp with his red hot anger and burning fists while leaving craters on the floor where his fist had come in contact with the ground. After the last of the 10 thugs fell to the ground in utter defeat, Mikoto slowly lifted his head over to Siege and smirked slightly.

"You're holding back. Those weren't your best men and you know it." Mikoto mocked with a slightly satisfied grin on his face. Mikoto seemed to be enjoying letting his anger free through his fists. He almost felt good enough that he could sprint after Siege and take him out in the blink of an eye but he didn't want to take the chance while he was still holding onto her. Koyuki sat in horror and amazement as Mikoto took a few steps towards them. Siege tightened his grip on Koyuki's hair causing her to wince from the pain then Mikoto stopped.

"Mikoto." She managed to say. "Don't lose control." Mikoto gasped and his aura retracted almost completely. Siege laughed.

"Haha, that's cute. One thing I'd like to know is how the hell you know so much?" He asked lifting Koyuki's head back up to him. Koyuki did not give him the satisfaction of her answering rather she glared at him. "Bitch. Mikoto Suoh, my men here are going to take you into another room and there we can make sure that you won't interfere with us again. You in exchange for this girl. Sound like a fair trade?"

"Let her go first." Mikoto demanded.

"We'll let her go after you come with us and we promise you we'll let her return safely." Siege finished waiting for Mikoto to answer. He stayed silent for a short moment looking between the two and Koyuki shook her head.

"Don't do it Mikoto, you have Anna and everyone else to look after. Don't worry about me."

"It's a deal." Mikoto answered. Koyuki gasped. Why would he do that?

"Haha, excellent. Jolt, take our hostage. Don't let her go until I give the word and remember we are not to harm her." A man that wore sunglasses and a scarf that covered his face nodded and walked over to receive Koyuki. What was left of the army of thugs circled around Mikoto to place steel handcuffs around his wrists. After his wrists were bound, they walked the Red King out and as he passed Koyuki's widened eyes, he gave her his own reassuring smile. She wanted to believe that everything would be alright but she knew that Mikoto was ready to lose himself. Koyuki felt something jab her in the back.

"Alright get moving." Jolt said. Koyuki walked in front of the man that had a shotgun pointed on her back and walked up the stairs and out of the building. Jolt opened the door to the exit and shoved her out the door causing her to fall over onto the dirt pathway. "Get outta here." He shouted in a husky voice before slamming the heavy door shut. Koyuki brushed herself off after she stood up and the group of HOMRA all ran up to her.

"Hey Koyuki are you alright?" Shouhei asked. Koyuki held her stomach as Kamamoto and Yata helped her up.

"Those low life bastards taking on a defenseless girl. Who do they think they are?" Yata said.

"At least you made it out of there alive." Kusanagi said. Koyuki shook.

"What's wrong?" Kamamoto asked noticing her trembling against his support.

"They took Mikoto." She cried not holding back the tears. "He went with them so that I could walk out of there alive." Everyone looked up.

"Well his Sword of Damocles is still up there. He must be giving them a hard time." Kusanagi noted.

"Koyuki, Mikoto's gonna be alright. Those assholes are no match for our king." Yata consoled patting Koyuki on the back.

"Yeah, this isn't the first time that he's been in this situation. It's his way of making sure all of us are safe before he blows the roof off of this place." Kamamoto added. Koyuki looked up to the sword in the sky. It was starting to decay more. She didn't want to believe that Mikoto would lose control over himself but the reality of it was directly above her. She feared the day that it would come crashing down.

"Where's Anna and Tatara?"

"They made it back to the bar. Tatara called as soon as they made it there." Kusanagi answered. Koyuki's shoulders dropped as she exhaled.

A red blast the size of a tornado emitted from the concrete roof of the abandoned warehouse then formed an orb of lava like texture that spread from that tornado and expanded until it took up the whole building turning it into scraps that was sent flying through the air followed by the smell of burning metal. Everyone in HOMRA ran back and put some distance between them and the building as the remainder of it got destroyed by the fire. Eventually the wall of flame dissipated and the Red King himself casually with his hands in his pockets walked through the rubble that rain from the fiery sky. The building was nothing but a pile of debris that naturally buried all of the corpses trapped inside. Koyuki's spirit lifted seeing Mikoto emerge from the site unharmed.

"Mikoto." They all yelled running up to join with their king. Koyuki was the first one that he looked at.

"Did they do anything to you?" Mikoto asked frowning. Koyuki closed her mouth and shook her head while smiling back at him.

"Thank you, Mikoto." Koyuki whispered and he smiled softly back at her. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, you too."

"I guess that's the end of this mess considering the building is completely demolished. I don't think we'll be seeing Siege around anymore. Good work everyone." Kusanagi congratulated before they started to head back to the bar. The group walked away but Mikoto and Koyuki stood there for a moment just admiring each other's company. Their gazes locked with one another's stopping the flow of time around them. Koyuki almost felt the warmth of his aura wrap itself around her protectively embracing her from behind so that she could never let go. She interrupted herself by placing an arm across her pulsing stomach where she had been struck. Mikoto knew that any outside thugs connected to Siege wouldn't cause any more trouble since the leader was taken out.

"Anna and Tatara are waiting for us at the bar." Koyuki said being the first one to break the silence. She wanted so desperately to take his hand and walk away with him.

"Shall we?" Mikoto asked. Koyuki's smile widened and her eyes practically sparkled.

"Alright, let's go back and celebrate." Kusanagi said. "Non-alcoholic drinks are on me."

"What? Kusanagi you cheapskate. When are you going to give us the real stuff?" Yata complained throwing his arms behind his head.

"That would be illegal, Yata." Kusanagi answered.

"Since when were we about doing things the legal way?" Chitose responded.

"A very good point." Dewa replied.

"I think that is enough reason in itself to let us have a drink." Bandou encouraged.

"Alright that's enough out of all of you. The next one to say anything else about this is gonna scrub the entire floor of the bar with a toothbrush while wearing the maid outfit I have in my closet." Kusanagi yelled.


	17. Chapter 17

Friday had finally come. The guys were taking Anna out camping, Kusanagi was meeting up with an old friend and that means that Koyuki would get some personal time with Mikoto. She grew giddy thinking of what the day holds with him that she was almost too anxious to eat. This morning, Koyuki spent extra time getting ready. She put on a black sweetheart spaghetti strap top which had had a tie around her back that formed a bow under her breasts with a black flowing skirt that came down between her thighs and her knees and threw on a white cardigan overtop. This was her favorite outfit to wear but this time she added some fishnet tights that had a very small square pattern. She took extra time with her hair and makeup. Her hair was in its usual low side braided ponytail that fell over her left shoulder adorned with a black bandana that was tied into a bow right where her braid started. With her makeup she stuck with a good daytime look with nude shades that accented her blue eyes. This wasn't really any different of an overall look than she normally does but she spent much more time to make sure that everything was perfect but that's to be expected for a first official date.

Koyuki left her apartment and locked the door behind her and proceeded to HOMRA bar where Mikoto was waiting for her. As she continued, she thought about every moment she had with Mikoto. There hasn't been many times when it has been just the two of them because there was so many of the other guys around plus Kusanagi owns the bar so he is ALWAYS there. A smile tugged at her lips thinking of the time when she asked him about the first kiss. Mikoto confirmed that he did it because he wanted to not because he had to. That day when he took her aura he used the kiss as an excuse but he really did it because he liked her. Mikoto wasn't the type of guy to go around and mess with women, she even heard him say it when the guys asked him about his dating life. In his own words he said 'too troublesome'.

Koyuki saw the bar in the distance and her heart moved faster than her feet were carrying her. She placed her hand on the brass door handle and walked through the door. She looked around for the redhead but he was nowhere to be seen. He was around somewhere. The smell of smoke filled the bar so he must have been down here recently.

"Mikoto?" She called out. The tapping of shoes was heard against the upstairs wooden floor making its way down the upstairs hallway. The sound changed once it hit the first steps of the staircase. Her heart beat almost stopped once she saw him gradually come down to the steps until he was on the same level she was on. He gently smiled at her, the same smile that he gave her when he found her safe from the last scuffle HOMRA had been in. The harsh lines around his eyes softened and his golden eyes melted her heart. She realized that her mouth had been open while she was off admiring him and changed it into a warm smile. This moment almost felt the same as it did a few days ago.

"You look beautiful today." His husky voice hummed like music to her ears.

"Thank you." Koyuki replied. She noticed that he had abandoned his leather jacket as the weather grew hot outside. "You look amazing yourself." Mikoto's smile widened.

"Are ya ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. Mikoto walked ahead of her and held the door open like a true gentleman. The two of them walked down the sidewalk side by side. Koyuki was slightly blushing the whole walk but when Mikoto's hand swayed bumping into hers, red spread across her face nearly the same red as Mikoto's aura. Mikoto looked up along the path they were walking and smiled to himself at her actions. "So what is on the to do list for the day?"

"I thought we could go to the market at the beach boardwalk. We could pick up something to eat there."

"That sounds like fun. Now that summer's here they're opening up the stalls."

"They have some new shops around this year. I thought there may be some good food." Mikoto said making Koyuki laugh. It wasn't a very long walk to the beach about three blocks from HOMRA bar all downhill.

It was just after lunchtime so the boardwalk was packed with people shopping, eating and participating in various activities. They even had carnival games for the children that were no longer in school. Some kids ran around with their faces painted like clowns, tigers and fairies. They spent a few moments at the first stall looking at random knickknacks but the smell of food in the air caught Mikoto's attention. Koyuki could sense that he was anxious to fill his mouth with the greasy food and neither of them had had lunch yet since Koyuki had spent most of her time getting ready for the day. Mikoto had already eaten but with him there was always room for more. Koyuki threw her head back and sighed.

"Alright I know you're hungry. Let's get some food."

"Sorry. Only if you want to." He offered.

"Yeah, I haven't had anything today yet. Why don't you pick a stand?" Koyuki followed beside the hungry redhead through the thick crowd passing by other stalls that sold food seeking out the perfect menu. Eventually Mikoto found a place that sold beef. Beef, the man's meal choice. Every item menu had some sort of beef on it served in man sized portions with minimal carbs and vegetables that come with it.

"Order whatever you want." Mikoto said. They both ordered their food and Mikoto paid then they went to sit down on a bench along the boardwalk where there was almost no people walking around. Koyuki opened up the bag that had her food in it and pulled out a veggie skewer with pieces of beef in between every microscopic sized pepper. Mikoto pulled out a veggieless vegetable skewer out of his bag and pulled the first one off of his spear. He looked down at hers watching her enjoy the meal. "Is yours good?" He asked.

"Very good. How about yours?"

"I've had better." He spoke. Koyuki laughed at his honesty.

"I'm surprised. I thought that since you love food so much that you wouldn't care what it was as long as it was classified as food." She smiled.

"That doesn't mean that I don't play favorites." He answered. She tilted her head to the side.

"Very true. I should have you over one time and cook you up a homemade steak and see if I can replace your favorite." She answered playfully.

"I'm up for it anytime." Mikoto smiled before taking out another skewer. He stopped for a minute to take in the salty smell of the perfectly cooked meat before he put it in his mouth.

There were a few people walking a cluster of dogs coming from Koyuki's side of the boardwalk. She turned her head to look to them and looked inside of her bag to see if she had enough meat that she could share. Right as the dogs and their walkers passed Koyuki they stopped and faced Mikoto beginning to grown and bark at him. Koyuki lifted up her feet and put them up on the bench so that they wouldn't attack her. Mikoto stood his ground and glared back at the mutts. Sensing the presence of his aura the dogs stopped and dashed away from their owners. The owners could not keep a grip on the leashes as the force of all of the dogs running away in different directions was overpowering.

"Hmph." Mikoto grunted before sinking his teeth down to take a vicious bite of his meat.

"What that was about. What did you do to them Mikoto?"

"I told them to get lost." He said. Koyuki's eyes widened.

"I wonder if they could sense your aura."

"Some animals with high perception can. Dogs and I don't really get along."

"What about when Kosuke brings home some strays? Don't they get scared of you?

"Most of the time yeah. He takes them home with him until he can find them a place to stay."

"So you're not a dog person." She thought out loud.

"You seem to get along with them well." Mikoto began.

"That's because I don't have an aura like yours. I don't even have an aura anymore."

"Do you ever want to have the aura back?" Mikoto asked in a serious tone. Koyuki looked down and thought about it resting her skewer of vegetables and meat on her hand.

"After what happened a few days ago I sometimes think that it would be best but it could also be the end of me." Koyuki stopped and looked over at Mikoto to read his expression much to her surprise that he had finished his meat and was staring at her last skewer that was in her hand. She tried to hold back a smile at how typical that was of him and handed him the remainder of her meal. "Only you, Mikoto." She said as he received the skewer. Mikoto didn't say anything until he was finished the meat then he stood up and turned to her with on hand in his pocket.

"Let's go back and see what else is over there." Mikoto suggested. Koyuki nodded looking up into his golden yes that matched the sunlight. As they walked back side by side, Koyuki's eyes focused on his hand that was swaying beside her, the one that wasn't in the pocket. She listened to his chain that dangled from his pants before reaching out to hold his hand. Surprise and acceptance flowed through him as he looked down at her while smiling squeezing her feminine hand in his masculine grip. Koyuki loved the feeling of his hand squeeze hers. _He was so warm and he smells so good._ She thought. They continued to walk and explore the various stalls and stands along the boardwalk.

Walking along with the muscular redhead made her feel like a young teenager again who couldn't control their hormones. The littlest glances he gave her nearly made her heart jump out of her chest and he seemed to be doing that quite often to her. It was a weird thing that made her senses feel alive and also like they're dying with the amount of fainting spells she almost had. The two of them walked, talked and laughed as they walked up and down the area. They didn't buy anything instead they window shopped and had conversations of the things that they saw.

Hours passed as the sun moved through the sky and Mikoto gazed up at the position of the glowing orb. Koyuki received two ice cream cones from a stall and noticed Mikoto's gaze off in the distance.

"Here." She said handing him his soft serve vanilla ice cream cone. Mikoto grunted as he took it and lifted the icy treat up to his lips still looking in the sky. "What are you thinking?"

"I have one more thing to do before we call it a day." Mikoto replied.

"Hm? What's that?" She hummed. Mikoto didn't say anything instead he reached down to take her hand and lead her away with him. Naturally she was curious but she didn't want this day to end. Cold chocolate entered her mouth while they walked together. A moment later, Koyuki looked over at Mikoto who was lost in thought. "Mikoto your ice cream is melting." Mikoto snapped out of his daze and looked down at the liquid that dripped down his hand and filled the cone. He was a little embarrassed that he lost control over his powers while dealing with the emotions that he was swimming in but he brushed it off and continued to eat his ice cream like it was no big deal. Koyuki laughed and Mikoto looked down to smile at her.

The two both finished their ice cream before they got to where Mikoto was leading them. They arrived at a grassy field decorated with trees and bushes that looked out over the ocean that perfectly mirrored the sky above. He led her over to a spot in the field and lay her down on the grass with him. Mikoto put an arm behind his head and Koyuki lay against him on his shoulder with his other arm wrapped around her.

"Are you having a good time?" He asked her looking down at her.

"Yes. I'm glad I got to spend the day with you."

"Hm, yeah." He smiled. "Everyone should go away more often." Koyuki chuckled then her face fell thinking about everyone.

"Are you going to tell the guys about today at all?" She hesitantly asked knowing that this could be a very touchy subject. Mikoto's smile faded.

"Do you want me to?" He asked.

"I'm okay with it if you are." She answered. "This could change things for everyone but they will respect you either way. You're their king." Mikoto snorted at the thought.

"Being a king means nothing. I've never done anything with the title." Koyuki abruptly pushed herself off of him so that her face was in his line of sight. Hairs fell out of her ponytail almost tickling his face.

"You always downplay the fact that you're a king like you shove it under the carpet. I don't know why you do it because you're amazing Mikoto. You're so strong and so selfless when it comes to the security of everyone else. When someone's in a situation you fight with all you've got to protect them no matter what the cost. That's something that makes you so reliable and respectable." Koyuki stopped for a moment and sat up looking away from him a little embarrassed at her own outburst. She reached across herself to grab her arm that was on the opposite side of Mikoto. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just saying that I really like you… a lot." She meekly whispered. Mikoto lifted his head from the grass and sat up so that their eyes melded together.

"Ya gotta stop saying sorry." He said in his bone chilling husky voice. "If we're gonna do this then you gotta hold your head up high and know that you matter. Everyone at HOMRA enjoys your company, even Anna. Ever since you joined you've brought a new dimension into the place that no one else can replace. When you were gone for two months the place felt so empty and lifeless." Mikoto spoke. "You are what calms me during my storm." He finished. Koyuki smiled feeling tears wanting to fall. Those words were so beautiful coming from him she almost couldn't believe it.

Mikoto's smile faded as he moved closer to her. Koyuki met with him the rest of the way and closed her eyes while she wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled into the kiss once again feeling his same soft lips brushing up against hers. Every time she felt the same spark of fire. Maybe it was his aura igniting himself within her. Mikoto pulled away for a moment with his hand still on her cheek using his thumb to trace her lower lip with a half lidded gaze at one another before leaning towards her yet again. Koyuki had grown to love the taste of cigarettes in his mouth. The kiss was graceful, soft and tender which could never last long enough. Mikoto wrapped his other arm around her waist to press his lips harder against hers as she leaned into him falling on the grass. Koyuki, being on top pulled away for some much needed air. Their gaze melded once again. How she loved his golden eyes on her. Her smile grew.

"You have a very beautiful smile." He smirked causing her to chuckle with a blush. She tucked a lock of blue hair behind her right ear.

"I only smile this much when I'm around you." She replied. His smirk grew.

"Yeah, you have the same effect on me." He said. Koyuki, with her arms wrapped around his neck, placed her head on his chest right over top of his heart to hear his steady beat while facing the sun. He felt so warm there like that's where he housed his aura. Mikoto returned one of his arms behind his head and used the other to wrap around her waist and looked at the beautiful sunset off in the distance enjoying the serene silence between them. After a while she spoke.

"You know out of everything that I've done with you I think that this is my favorite." She whispered.

"Me too." He smiled moving his hand from her waist up to her shoulder. "Next time we should try to keep the hostage situation out of the question." He joked. Koyuki chuckled again before they both fell into silence watching the sky change colours as the sun moved down to the horizon. Within a half an hour the stars began to peek through the navy sky.

Koyuki looked up at Mikoto to check if he was sleeping. His eyes were closed but after he felt her movement he opened them and smiled down at her. As she rested her head back on his chest she watched the last bit of sun disappear into the horizon of the ocean leaving the sky to get darker and darker. The moon stood over head nearly perfectly round that could be seen on the mirroring water. Mikoto's chest seemed to gradually cool down as if before his aura was running wild inside of him as his emotions sparked and ignited. He removed his arm from behind her head to place it around her before he looked down. Koyuki looked back at him for a moment knowing that he would say something.

"I could lie here all night." He started. "But it's getting late." Koyuki nodded even though she wished that this night would never end but she knew in her heart that there would be more moments like this that she would eagerly be waiting for. She lifted herself off of him and sat up as did he before they stood up in unison. "I'll walk you home." He offered.

"Okay." She nodded. This time Mikoto held out his had to her and she willingly accepted it.

"Everyone should be back some time the day after tomorrow. Kusanagi will be there in the morning so I was gonna head on over. I was thinking of telling him before I told anyone else." His voice trailed off. Was Mikoto feeling shy?

"Are you actually blushing about this? I can't believe that you have a shy side." Koyuki said poking him. Mikoto didn't know if he should frown, smile or look away. Having to break some news that could potentially put their group of friends in an awkward situation was more than enough to hesitate on but he knew that he should at least tell Kusanagi. He was someone that could be trusted and he would be supportive of them even if he did have his share of smartass comments but maybe because it was Koyuki he would be a little nicer than he could normally be. Tatara however, as supportive as he may be is the most likely to let the cat out of the bag before he may get the chance to let everyone know himself.

"It's not something you do every day." He replied hiding his insecurities. Koyuki found this adorable that Mikoto Suoh had a shy side. She felt that because of that he was more on the same level as her now.

"You had more confidence when you kissed me for the first time." She teased. His hand grew very hot in hers as his aura swirled like a wild current through his body.

"That's something I wanted to do. This not so much."

"You don't have to tell them right away."

"Eventually I'm gonna have to. I don't want to have to hide with you forever. If I wait too long then the guys, Chitose in particular, could get the idea that you're up for grabs. That way I can give him fair warning that if he tries something I'll snap his neck like a twig."

"If it means saving a life then it's for the best." Koyuki said feeling like she was high after Mikoto demonstrated how protective he was of her. He was of Anna but the thought of him protecting her as a lover made her feel like she was standing on top of the world. Mikoto slowed down his walking pace with her as he neared the building that he remembered to be where Koyuki lives at. She was ready to let his hand go and continue on by herself but he kept a firm grip on it even when he opened the door for her. He even walked up to the elevator with her then he finally loosened his hold so that she could slide her hand out of his. Koyuki pressed the button lighting it up and turned to him as she awaited the elevator. She gave him a sweet smile.

"Thank you so much for everything today, Mikoto. I had a really great time." She said in almost a hushed tone. Mikoto smiled down at her.

"Next time you pick out where we eat." He suggested.

"Next time I'll make something for you. How does that sound?"

"I look forward to it." He smiled back at her. Mikoto bent down his head a bit and Koyuki used this opportunity to press her lips on top of his. They tenderly brushed against one another's lips tickling the other with their sweet breath. When the elevator made it down to ground level, they both ignored it and continued kissing. After they broke apart, their gazes locked for a final time that night.

"Good night, Koyuki." He hummed.

"Good night, Mikoto."


	18. Chapter 18

Smoke came from the cigarette that dangled from his lips and a hand brushed through his messy red hair. Since Mikoto had gone to bed last night after bring Koyuki back home after their date, he had been tossing and turning in bed with his usual nightmares.

He had found himself alone in a desert with buildings crumbling and burning in the background, where the sand was red and so was the sky with black ripples as clouds. As Mikoto looked around in the wasteland he found that he was alone until the desert formed a river made of lava that flowed directly towards him. He tried to turn around but when he looked down at his feet that weren't moving he found that they were slowly burning and turning into ash. After that nightmare he woke up glistening in sweat and his heart rate was at a dangerous level and since then he could never really get back to sleep.

As Mikoto walked into the bar, Kusanagi was nowhere to be found but rummaging could be heard from the back like he was moving boxes. He walked to the back storage room that was full of shelves, full bottles and unopened boxes piled high. Upon seeing him come into the room, Kusanagi dropped his box and his face turned to an unusual concerned look.

"Mikoto, you look awful. Another bad sleep?" He asked.

"Hm." Mikoto nodded. "Past two nights."

"If you didn't sleep so much then it could improve the quality of your sleep overnight. I know I know, since when have you ever listened to me." He waved his hand around then he walked towards the door arch where Mikoto was leaning against. "I'm just tryin to save you a headache."

"Thanks." Mikoto grunted as the two of them walked out onto the bar floor and Kusanagi joined him smoking snapping his fingers in front of his cigarette to light it up.

"Seri and I got together yesterday. She says that Scepter 4, particularly the Blue King Munakata has noticed your Sword of Damocles floating overhead a few days ago back when we had an unexpected outing. Seri mentioned that Munakata noticed some cracks forming along the shaft and said that you've been drawing a lot more power recently."

"Munakata would notice that wouldn't he."

"The situation that we have been put in was rather messy and couldn't be avoided."

"The idiot called himself a king. He has no idea what he was doing calling himself that. I would have burned him to the ground if he didn't have Tatara, Anna and Koyuki there."

"Tatara came running out of the building with Anna and told us that you were still in there trying to get Koyuki back. People still don't know not to mess with HOMRA." Kusanagi said before puffing out a cloud of smoke. "At least everything turned out alright." Kusanagi looked at his tempered friend's far away eyes. He's known him for a long time and could tell when something was not on his mind. Usually Mikoto kept everything to himself but because Kusanagi was very skilled with negotiations and interrogations, he could sometimes squeeze an answer or part of what was bothering his friend out. "Something on your mind?"

"I –"

"I know, your face says it all. You've got a thing for Koyuki. You've been looking at her a lot since she has come back from her time at the Research Center." Mikoto frowned annoyed at how Kusanagi was able to pinpoint exactly what he was going to tell him with a creepy kind of accuracy he felt like he wanted to punch him but he decided not to since he was about to 'pour himself out'. "You've got a good eye Mikoto. She's friendly, has a great smile, cooks, cleans and can even catch the attention of the great Red King. She's practically the opposite of you." Mikoto was close to snapping and visualized himself throwing Kusanagi across the room into his beloved English style bar that he treasured more than any clansmen's lives (so he said).

"Do you think everyone else notice?" Mikoto asked and Kusanagi snorted.

"Not a chance. Those guys are all idiots when it comes to stuff like this. They don't know you as well as I do. Tatara maybe but I don't think he's ever known you when you've been hanging around girls but he would have most likely blabbed to the others about it. Anna spotted it before I did and she asked me about it. She says she was happy that Mikoto found someone that is good for him."

"I'm glad Anna likes her." Mikoto stated.

"So, how far are things with you and her?"

"I took her out yesterday since it was the only chance to get away from everyone. We went to the boardwalk, and then watched the sunset."

"Obviously you kissed her am I right?"

"Yeah." He said in a low voice but couldn't hold back the smile that was creeping on his face.

"I knew you had it in you." The smirk was practically painted on Mikoto's face.

"You remember that time when I told you that I took her aura? I kissed her using that as an excuse for being the only way to take it. She was so mad before then." Kusanagi laughed and wiped the tears forming at the outside corners of his eyes.

"Well I'm happy for you, Mikoto. You deserve to be happy." Kusanagi said patting his buddy on the back. Over the years he was starting to worry about Mikoto never finding someone that can make him happy or take care of him. He and Anna were the closest things he had to happiness but there were things Mikoto still didn't share with him. He always seemed to withdraw himself from them every now and then especially when something was on his mind. Ever since he became king and started to develop his unusual sleeping habits he has secluded himself from everyone else.

"It was so amazing, I can't believe it." Koyuki practically squealed to the image of Yuzu on the floating screen in her living room.

"That's so awesome, Koyuki. I can't believe it either." Yuzu joined her in the squealing. "How long have you known him for?"

"About five months and he first kissed me when we knew each other for three months. I became friends with his friend who offered me a job at his bar and he is always around so I get to see him every day."

"Really? That's so cute. I'm really excited for you. You have such a sparkle to your eyes. Tell me more about him." Yuzu encouraged.

"He's tall, really muscular but he's always lazy so I don't know how he stays in shape. He's so firm! Super strong. His hair is the most beautiful red colour and his eyes are practically golden in certain lightings and his smile is gorgeous. It melts me every time. So does his voice. It's really low and rough. He smokes."

"Oh boy."

"I love it when he smokes." Koyuki sang.

"What? That's not what the Koyuki I know would say. She couldn't stand smoke and thought that it was horrible and disgusting."

"But when he does it, it smells so good."

"Wow, he must be pretty special for you to say that." Yuzu said.

"She smells so good. I don't know if it's just her shower soap or if she sprays body spray on her but each time I get a whiff of it I get kinda dizzy like I'm high." Mikoto explained to Kusanagi who sat there listening to all of the things that the King had to say about someone he already knew. The way he explained it is as if Kusanagi had never met her before. Some of the stuff he agreed on and some things he never noticed about her that Mikoto had. He tapped his cigarette over the ash tray then put it back in his mouth.

"It's hard to believe what one little date can do to a guy especially when it's someone like Koyuki." Kusanagi agreed. "I would hold off on telling the others for a while until you two are certain that you're going places. I mean if it didn't work out between you two that could put you and Koyuki in a very awkward situation which would be picked up by everyone else. It would be harder for her since she's the only female here."

"He knows that if he tells everyone else about us then things could get awkward. He even told me himself that he doesn't want to have to hide me forever." Koyuki explained.

"Aw, that's so adorable. Hey, I'm almost done my first semester then I get the summer off before the next one starts. I was going to come over there for a while."

"I'll introduce you to him and everyone else at the bar." Koyuki finished. Yuzu nodded over the projection. "Oh and I may have a favor to ask of you."

"What's that?"

"One of the guys is seriously shy around girls so I could use your help loosening him up." She smiled with her tongue out making Yuzu laugh.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Great. I gotta go now to the bar. See you when you get here?"

"Yup, I'll let you know."

"I mean it's been what, five months since you found her and you kissed her after three? You say you like her but you've only been 'together' for two months and only one date. I would give it another couple dates before you tell the guys. Out of all of them Yata's the one who is most likely to overreact and Chitose as well."

"I can take them." Mikoto said making it clear that he would put everyone in their place if they did not approve.

"Not inside. It'll cost a fortune to replace this bar. Your room already has enough damage to it. You keep on blowing new holes in the wall and I can't afford to keep up with your temper."

"I haven't done that for a while. Last time I did it was –"

"Was when Koyuki was gone for the two months. I know. You were in a bad mood most of the time she was gone. After the first week your mood started to go downhill. There were even days that you didn't bother coming to the bar and all of the guys were worried about you, especially Anna." Mikoto scratched the back of his neck a little annoyed that he finished his sentence. How easily Kusanagi could read him sometimes it almost made him nervous. But what do you expect from a guy that you've known for over a decade. Tatara too sometimes but Anna, he felt sorry that he caused the princess to worry about him. Even if he was apart from her they could sense each other and she could tell what he was feeling even from the farthest of distances.

"I don't know how it's gonna work with everyone being around here. If everyone does something without me then things would move forward easier."

"That is where your wingman steps in." Kusanagi said as Mikoto crushed his cigarette but in the ashtray on the counter. "I work all of the guys extra hard so they have no chance to leave and you get to go on a few outings with Koyuki. It works for both of us."

"Think of a better strategy. Those guys can sneak away if they really wanted to."

"That's when I have a backup plan. I send them away to do a job finding a gang that doesn't exist in a nearby town. Send them on a little scavenger hunt with clues leading to another area that the thugs could be hanging around. I'll just give them a bunch of addresses to abandoned warehouses and if they manage to find a real gang then that'll keep them busy until you and your lady finish your date sound like a plan?"

"I like your thoughts." Mikoto smirked pounding his fist against the bartenders as their handshake.

"Hello." Koyuki's voice called after the door bell chimed. "Good morning Kusanagi and Mikoto."

"Morning."

"Good morning Koyuki." Kusanagi chirped back. "Mikoto was just telling me about your date yesterday." Contents from Koyuki's bag spread across the floor as a blush spread over her cheeks.

"Oh, you know about that?" She asked bending down beginning to pick up her stuff.

"Of course. I could tell that Mikoto was thinking about something so forced it out of him."

"I was gonna tell you regardless." Mikoto said under his breath.

"I agreed that you shouldn't tell any of the guys yet. Things can still change."

"Are you okay with it Kusanagi?" She asked meekly standing back up.

"Certainly, it's not like I have a choice in the matter but I approve."

"Huh, did you not have a good sleep last night Mikoto?" She asked noticing the redheads larger than normal bags under his eyes. His frown creases seemed larger as well. Mikoto seemed to struggle to open his eyes to look at her.

"Mm? Yeah I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He said getting up from his seat. Koyuki watched him as he walked towards her then completely past her to go upstairs to his room. Confusion tugged at her wondering what happened to him since last night when they were together. It had only been a few hours but it's enough to affect a person. Koyuki called out to him as soon as he placed his foot on the first step.

"Can I make you something for breakfast?" He stopped and turned his head to see her.

"Maybe in a bit." He said with a weak smile. Since when did Mikoto Suoh reject food? He must have really had a rough night. Koyuki felt so helpless as she watched the man at a snail's pace make his way upstairs then she remembered him telling her that he has nightmares on a regular basis but this is the first time that she noticed him barely keep it together. She wanted to be able to read his dreams but that was something even she could not accomplish and she promised him that she wanted him to come to her when he was ready.

"Don't worry about him." Kusanagi started making her head snap in his direction. "This isn't the first time that Mikoto's been this worn out. He'll get through it."

"I hope you're right."

Mikoto shut the door behind him inside his room and practically stumbled on his bed. His face formed droplets of sweat that beaded together enough to roll down his face. _This is bad_ he thought. He knew that after the nightmare he had last night it may be another night or two before he can really get a decent night sleep.

"Sir the street subordinates you hired have returned." A female voice came from an intercom that rested on top of a familiar desk. The man she was speaking to pressed his finger on a button on the machine and spoke back.

"Great, send them in." His voice ordered. He looked up from his desk as the doors opposite of him opened and in came a familiar man: Siege. The thug walked in with wrappings cross his torso and an expression that said he could tear you apart. His eyes seemed sharper and more piercing like it could slice anything in half with just his gaze. "Ah, Siege, welcome back. Shouldn't you be at the hospital with those kinds of injuries?" He asked looking at the man's missing right arm that was bandaged with old blood that had seeped through.

"You know me; I'm not one to stay in a hospital for very long. Don't find their food that good. I see you've also lived through Mikoto's temper… Hideki Minawa." Siege smirked gazing at the man in front of him. His face had been completely melted from the intensity of Mikoto's aura and had been through only a single reconstructive surgery and he had been forced to shave his head bald due to uneven hair growth across his scalp. Some areas had patches and some were completely bare though he wore a fedora to cover it up. His bottom eyelids drooped down to where his cheek bones began.

"It's nothing a little surgery can't fix. Same goes for your arm. Looks like you got off with the effects of his temper."

"This, no. I got this trying to escape after the building collapsed over top of me. My arm got stuck and the only way to get free was to leave it behind. Heh. Finally had a use for the old man's blade."

"So tell me what happened." Minawa said folding his hands together and leaning his elbows on the desk.

"Like you said. His Sword of Damocles has begun to crumble and the more power he uses, the faster it seems to go just like in the Kagutsu incident. Mikoto's heading down the same path. Taking hostages was a great idea. It deteriorated at a much faster pace when there were hostages involved. I took three: a female, a male and a little girl. His aura seemed to react more when the lady is in danger so we may have a winner there."

"Excellent. In order to get rid of Mikoto Suoh, we'll put him in a situation with his lady friend that he'll have to exhaust his power to the point where his sword crashes down overhead then we'll be rid of the violent tempered Red King forever." Minawa laughed.

"Works for me." Siege agreed.

"As a reward for your hard work before we put our plan into action, I'll get you the best botanical arm money can buy."


	19. Chapter 19

"We're back!" Yata sang with Bandou and Tatara as they danced through the door to the bar followed by everyone else. Kosuke had Anna on his back giving her a piggyback ride. He put her down on a bar stool as soon as they walked in.

"Welcome home." Koyuki celebrated.

"Enough with all of your singing. The king is upstairs trying to sleep. He's not in a good mood. He hasn't been able to sleep for the past two nights so keep your voices down." Kusanagi warned. Some of the boys cringed picturing Mikoto the last time he couldn't sleep. No matter what they did, everyone got on his nerves and he even blown a couple new holes in the walls. Kusanagi had to close down shop early that day Mikoto was scaring away all of the customers.

"Crap, bad timing." Eric groaned remembering the last time he walked in on Mikoto sleeping.

"How went the trip?" Kusanagi asked. Tatara lifted up the video camera that he had brought along with him.

"Great, got a lot on video. We caught a number of fish, including Anna. We even cooked them up for dinner. There was a lot extra so we brought them home." He said sparkling with pride. Dewa walked passed everyone with a cooler that had a distinct smell of fish attached to it. "I'll cook them up one night."

"You can cook?" Kusanagi asked.

"I can. Koyuki actually inspired me to so now I've picked up another hobby." Tatara laughed. "I'm gonna go check on the king see how he's doing." As Tatara went upstairs Koyuki leaned against the back of a barstool and gazed at Yata who was performing a trick on his skateboard. _Hm, if Yuzu is going to come and help me with Yata's fear of girls then I'm gonna have to use my powers on him to get to know his history. Maybe I'll try looking at his future too. How am I going to do this without him noticing?_ Koyuki plotted. Anna looked over from Koyuki over to Yata sensing her thoughts. The little girl wiggled her nose and sneezed forcing herself backwards into Yata knocking the skater off of his board and onto the wooden flooring.

"Hey what's the big idea?" Yata shouted getting ready for a fight while he was still on the ground. "Oh it's just you Anna."

"I'm sorry Yata." She said. Koyuki grinned to herself and made her way over to Yata holding her hand out to him.

"Are you alright Yata?" Koyuki asked receiving Yata's hand in her own.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said as soon as he made contact with her. Koyuki focused and felt Yata's heartbeat in the palm of her hand but gasped as soon as Yata was back on his feet.

"Holy crap you really are scared of girls." Koyuki blurted.

"Wha- What's that supposed to mean?" Yata growled. Koyuki put both of her hands over her mouth and her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry." She apologized. Everyone stood around the two wondering what she was talking about. Kusanagi and Anna were the only ones who knew what Koyuki was talking about because they were aware of her abilities, the others, all had stupid looks painted on their faces especially Yata. Kusanagi sighed knowing that he was the one who was going to have to explain the situation. Koyuki felt so embarrassed that she put her head down and dashed outside.

"That was weird." The guys thought.

Koyuki did not run very far she ran to the other side of the building that was next to the bar. She had both palms of her hands on either of her cheeks and her eyes were still as wide as when she unexpectedly blurted out what she did. Now she put Yata in a weird position where he would have to explain himself but most of the guys probably know about how extensive his fear goes. The portion of Yata's life that she viewed may have been comedic to someone but for Yata it would affect his ego if anyone else found out about it. Koyuki's heart skipped a beat when the skater himself came around the corner towards her five minutes later.

"Hey." Yata said in a low voice not making eye contact with her. Koyuki lowered her head and began to shake wanting so bad to run away again. "Kusanagi explained to us your strain abilities." He said kicking a pebble off of the side walk with his hands buried deep in his pockets. "It's pretty cool and all but…" Koyuki felt as if she were being crushed by an unbearable weight. "I kinda am wondering after what you said. What did you see in me?" Yata questioned looking up at her. She never lifted her head. He was either never going to trust her again or well no. With Yata and girls, he will never be able to trust them after what Koyuki did to him. She violated his mental privacy and now he knew it.

"I was just curious… why you are afraid of girls so much." She whispered nervously holding her hands together.

"Tell me everything that you saw." Yata spoke very sternly. Her head jolted up to look at him after hearing the tone of his voice. His voice matched his eyes.

"I saw you with a friend with black hair and glasses. You were in elementary school. He dared you to kiss a girl that you liked and being the stubborn kid that you were/are, you took him up on that. After school around the back of the building you met with that girl and tried to kiss her. She did not like it and… she beat you up really bad. Apparently this girl had some kind of martial arts skills that she had learned and completely annihilated you. Your friend was watching in the distance and he laughed at you. Ever since then he has bugged you around girls saying how they are all like that. That moment scarred you and you believed him. I'm sorry Yata." Koyuki said wiping the tears out of her eyes. Yata was shocked.

"Wow you really can see peoples past." He said sounding impressed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of the guys." She started to cry harder. Yata felt awkward. Since he has kept his distance from girls this was an unusual situation for him to be in. He's never been this close to a girl while she was crying. Yata flushed with red. Normally he would get mad at someone for invading on his life but he wanted to know more about her powers.

"So I hear that you can also see people's futures… Do ya think that… maybe… you can see mine… to see if I ever get over my fear of girls?" His blush darkened. Koyuki looked at him and sniffed. "I'm still mad at you. You owe this to me." He raised his voice. Knowing that he was right, she nodded before she reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Futures are much harder to see. I can't see very far into people's futures but I will try." Koyuki said closing her eyes. He was right. She did owe him this. The river of her mind slowed and eventually stopped. Everything was black until a gray image appeared of him and Kamamoto at some sort of high school on an island looking for someone and it seems like Yata was still avoiding all girls while they were asking around for the mysterious person. She couldn't pinpoint the exact time that this happens but they didn't look much older and Kamamoto was fat so it had to be sometime in the fall or winter. That same guy with the black hair and glasses appeared too still bugging Yata about his virginity. The image started to shake and become gradient as if a TV was losing its signal to a satellite. She pressed her hand on her head trying to stay focused.

"Koyuki! Koyuki!" Yata shouted shaking her until she came back to consciousness. "Koyuki, you okay?" He asked. Her eyes peeled open with a massive headache and her face scrunched from the pain. It wasn't like a hammering kind of pain that would come from any other headache, it was more like a bunch of icy cold needles being pricked into every inch of her brain repeatedly getting deeper and deeper into the center. The pain dulled slowly as she regained her composure still with one hand pressed on her skull. "Well what did you see?"

"I don't know when this was but you still didn't like girls. You were at a school with Kamamoto looking for someone and you asked all guys and avoided all girls. That's all I got." She said.

"Crap. Well you tried." Yata said before turning around to go back to the bar but he turned his head sideways so he could catch a glimpse at her. "Next time you want some tickets to the Yatagarasu cinema, let me know first." He said before he walked out of sight. His voice told her that he was still mad which he had every right to be. She was nervous, a little too nervous to go back inside right away.

"So how'd it go?" Kusanagi asked a frowning Yata as he came back through the door.

"I can't believe she did that. There's another reason for me not to trust girls." Yata complained dropping himself on the couch and slid down so his feet were on the coffee table. "She saw my most embarrassing moment of all things. Why couldn't she see the moment when I won championships at my hometowns skate park?"

"I think she did it because she wants to help you find a way to overcome your fear of girls. By looking at what caused it she may be able to come up with a solution."

"Yeah well it's not like I want any help." Yata pouted folding his arms tightly across his chest.

"You got too much of an ego to admit you need help, Chihuahua." Eric said under his voice.

"Yeah well f*** you too." Yata yelled.

"Shut up, the king is sleeping." Kusanagi reminded. "But Eric is right. Your ego is bigger than Scepter 4's headquarters especially in front of your old friend Fushimi."

"Monkey…" Yata growled. "This is all his fault. If it wasn't for him, then I wouldn't have been put in this situation. He's the reason I got issues with girls." Yata and Kusanagi turned their head to the stairwell after hearing a pair of footsteps making their way down. Tatara revealed himself to be the source of the footsteps as he came over to the bar next to Kusanagi.

"So how's our king doing?" Kusanagi said more than happy to change the conversation.

"He'll be alright. He's just complaining on why he became king is all. He doesn't know why he was chosen." Tatara said in a 'no big deal' tone of voice.

"Ever since he became king and has been losing sleep he tends to question that. Lack of sleep must come with the title." Kusanagi pointed out.

"Yeah but he's the best choice there is out there. He doesn't realize it but he is the most qualified out of anyone else to be king and I am happy to be his vassal. I told him he'll get a good night's sleep in no time. It'll all work out in the end." Tatara optimistically replied. He was right and everyone at HOMRA thought that he was deserving of the title. Most of the guys would turn down the title if they had the chance, too many responsibilities that took too much work. Kusanagi smirked remembering the first time Tatara called Mikoto a king. He wasn't actually the Red King yet but Tatara thought it was a suitable title for the violent tempered adolescent.

"That Mikoto sleeps too much anyways." Yata said. "It'd be good for him to get into a regular sleeping pattern. Maybe then he won't look so tired during the day.

"That's what I told him but do you think that he listens to me?" Kusanagi complained.


	20. Chapter 20

Koyuki knocked at Mikoto's door and soon poke her head in when there was no answer. It seems like every time she went in his room there were new holes in the walls or burn marks somewhere. The redhead lay there on his bed facing the door and opened his eyes upon seeing her come through but he did not move. As she neared him on the bed she noticed his pillow looked as if it were starting to burn away slowly.

"Have you gotten any sleep yet?" She asked. Mikoto grunted a negative response. The way he lying on his stomach, his arm was over the bed almost touching the ground. She sighed still worrying about him. "I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house tonight and I can make you dinner. Something that could help you sleep. Maybe a change of scenery will help you."

"It's worth a try." He said lazily. "Are any of the guys still here?"

"Yata, Kamamoto, Tatara, Eric and of course, Kusanagi. Everyone else left."

"We'll have to go out the back door so long as nobody sees us." He said slowly putting his feet on the floor. Koyuki watched him gradually put all of his body weight onto his feet then hoisted himself up and walked towards the door with her. They walked down the stairs together managing to sneak by anyone that could spot them together, however, Kusanagi did notice that they were leaving together and shook his head with a slight smirk on his face. Mikoto silently gestured to him to keep his mouth shut. The other boys that were also in the room did not notice any of the communication going on from Kusanagi. Koyuki and Mikoto managed to slip out the back door without coming across anyone that would question them and hurried off until the bar was out of sight. Koyuki looked up at him and laughed feeling like a high schooler sneaking their boyfriend around their parents after curfew. Mikoto tiredly smiled down at her and enjoyed the little bit of adrenaline the moment had to offer then took her hand and followed her to her place.

"I never thought that I would be sneaking around those guys at all. They've always talked about not hiding anything." Mikoto said lazily.

"Once we come out to them we won't be able to have fun like this anymore." Koyuki mentioned. "There won't be any secrets."

"Maybe we should hold off on telling them so that we can have a little more fun like this." She was surprised to hear him say that though she knew that he wasn't open about himself with the guys she couldn't help but feel a dirty sensation from that though she had to agree. It gives them a high that they couldn't get anywhere else. Mikoto expected to be harassed by the guys for a while but he could hold his own.

The familiar building came into sight and their hands broke apart as Mikoto held the front door open for Koyuki. He followed behind her to the elevator and waited for the lift to come down to their level. They stayed silent as they stood there apart. Once the elevator door opened up, they stepped in and got taken to the fourth floor. Like always, it felt like it took the whole night for the elevator to ascend and there were no stairs to take. The only option was to wait an entire lifetime to get to the floor you need to be on. After a while, they were brought to the fourth floor and Koyuki led Mikoto to room 239 and scanned her keycard that unlocked the door.

"Welcome to my humble abode." She sang with her arms wide open upon entering. Mikoto looked around then scratched the back of his head.

"Y'know I kinda pictured it differently. With you being a girl and all I imagined that there would be a lot more frills and stuff." He mentioned.

"Sorry, no frills. Even though I had to wear frilly stuff for work reasons in the past (especially Kusanagi's outfit), I'm really not overly big on that. Not to mention that I don't have that kind of money to make this place look fancy." Koyuki said motioning for Mikoto to take a seat on her fabric couch.

"Still is better than my place."

"I forgot that you have your own place. I always thought lived at the bar." A slight snort escaped him.

"Yeah, right. That's my time away from the guys. Being around them all the time is enough to drive anyone crazy." Koyuki laughed.

"Is there anything I can get you before I start on dinner?"

"I think I'm good." He said.

"Okay, make yourself at home." Koyuki winked before twirling around to work in her kitchen. The kitchen faced the wall but had an opening where the island with barstools was so that the TV could be viewed while cooking. Mikoto lay on the couch facing her while she began taking out ingredients from her fridge and started off by preparing the salmon. A few minutes passed as he went back and forth in his mind if he should offer to help at all or if he should close his eyes for a minute but he didn't want to risk not waking up for dinner that Koyuki was working so hard on preparing. She was very experienced in the kitchen and he thought that he may be in her way. Swiftly she moved as she grabbed a carrot and diced it up into tiny pieces and put them into a pot.

"Do you need any help over there?" He called lifting his head up so he could see her.

"I'm fine, you just relax." She said meeting his gaze only to drop the knife on her finger. Abruptly she stopped and swore at the sight of the red liquid leaking out of her. Mikoto got up and went over to her. "It's nothing, just a little scratch." She said holding her finger away from him but he just held out his hand.

"Let me see it." He said in his low rough voice. Koyuki gave him her hand and the blood dripped down onto his hand. "That's a bit more than just a scratch. We're gonna have to stop the bleeding." He grabbed a paper towel and wrapped it around her finger and squeezed it with his hands nearly cutting off her circulation causing her to wince a bit. "Sorry." Mikoto said loosening his grip on her. They both looked down at her hand waiting for her river to stop then their eyes met.

"No this is my fault. I wasn't paying attention." She said. "Now I'm just delaying everything."

"I can wait. The longer we wait, the better everything will taste." Mikoto looked over her shoulder at the pile of vegetables on the counter. "Is that kale?" He asked in almost a disgusted sounding tone. Koyuki spoke back in 'as a matter of fact' tone.

"Yes, kale is very good for you. It contains all sorts of vitamins and minerals and is great for helping you sleep. You have to have more than just meat in your diet, Mikoto and I'm going to make sure you get it."

"Alright Dr. whatever you say." Mikoto playfully mocked. "I'll eat properly tonight only because you bled for this meal." Koyuki laughed bringing her other hand up to her mouth. Mikoto looked down and opened up the paper towel. "Almost stopped." He grabbed a clean sheet and continued to put pressure on her finger. Moments passed and Koyuki could feel Mikoto's heart beat from the pulse of his grasp on her. His heart even felt a little sluggish from lack of sleep. It felt as if he could fall over and pass out any moment. Her eyebrows lifted as she focused on it. "What's wrong?" Mikoto asked her.

"Your pulse seems off. You really need some sleep. Were you having nightmares?"

"Yeah, the usual: losing control of my aura, destroying everything around me. It gets more vivid every time like the day is getting closer."

"Don't say that!" Koyuki interrupted. Mikoto lifted his head to look into her eyes. "The more you think about it the more you will believe it and if you believe it then it may actually happen. I don't want to lose you. I feel like I'm just starting to get to know you." Koyuki trailed off. "I want to help you." Mikoto didn't know how to respond but something inside of him sparked and ignited. He had never heard someone express themselves like that about him it was almost foreign but he received it anyways. It was strange, he almost felt stronger (if it was possible for him to get any stronger) and his eyes changed before her. She always seen something very familiar to her in his eyes bit at that moment it seemed to vanish. Loneliness, that is what vanished from his eyes. Loneliness was the same features they shared that reflected in their eyes. Mikoto being so dangerously powerful he felt separated from everyone else on the face of the earth but now he felt that Koyuki would be there for him even if he would withdraw himself from everyone he could count on her to pull him back down to his calm place.

Koyuki opened up her one arm that he wasn't holding and wrapped it around him. His eyes widened for a brief moment taking in the feeling of her body being pressed against his. Mikoto closed his eyes and sighed into her embrace before he returned the gesture forgetting about trying to stop her bleeding. His head perfectly fit on her shoulder as he squeezed her tightly against him pressing her breasts into his chest. Koyuki was the first one to pull away but she kept eye contact with him.

"I believe in you, Mikoto." She smiled confidently.

Mikoto grabbed two plates and set them at a small table that was positioned against a wall of windows. The table was finished being set and Koyuki brought the kale salad and placed it in between them. After that she brought over the rice then the salmon. Mikoto stood there eyeing the banquet that was prepared for him absorbing the aromas that float around him.

"Alright get the salmon while it is hot." Koyuki said pulling out a chair then sitting down. Mikoto pulled out the chair opposite of her and sat down and picked out a large piece of boneless salmon. He paid no attention to the other food and focused on the meat before it dried out as it cooled. Koyuki watched in amusement at his table manners not that she was judging. As soon as he finished the meat, he went over and put a pile of rice on his plate with the kale salad taking up the other portion of the plate. Finishing her smaller portions, Koyuki was the first one done eating and waited for him as he finished up his seconds. After a while, Mikoto lifted his head when his plate was cleared.

"You really know how to make a meal. That was probably the best thing you've made so far." He said placing his cutlery across his plate. Koyuki laughed.

"I'm glad you liked it. There's a lot more where that came from." She excused herself from the table and took both of their plates beginning to clean up. Mikoto brought the other dishes on the table and placed them on the counter. Together they both worked on cleaning up then they retired to the couch where they talked about everything and nothing. If HOMRA were to see the two of them together they would be surprised at how much Mikoto talked. He wasn't the most talkative person around, in fact he was on the more silent side but Koyuki had a knack for getting him to talk.

"…and he almost managed to get himself killed so I had to step in at take everyone out."

"Seriously? That's amazing. I can't believe he did that." Koyuki oo'd and laughed.

"He learned his lesson at least. HOMRA has a way with attracting attention."

"Everyone knows HOMRA as street thugs but you're so much more than that." She thought after all of the struggles they've gotten themselves in. They keep Shizume City as drug free as possible and deal with crime in their own manners even if they use violence to clean up the streets. "Hey, how did HOMRA first come together?" Mikoto thought for a moment. It seemed like so long ago.

"Kusanagi bought the bar back in high school just before he graduated and Tatara was in middle school when he started hanging around. Dumb kid got himself beaten up just so he could get in with us. Not too long after that others had found out that I thrashed the guys who mauled with Tatara and others started to walk into the bar interested in my powers and thought it would be cool to use them to better the city since most of the guys come from pretty rough parts of town. I guess they all thought it'd be a good idea since they saw me take out a bunch of punks that were harassing Tatara."

"Not too long after you received your powers. Who came up with the name?"

"Kamamoto thought it would be a good idea to name it after the bar since this is our zone. After much senseless arguing the guys agreed. I didn't really care either way." He groaned. Koyuki chuckled.

"You always act like you don't care but that's not always true." Mikoto couldn't help but smile at the truth in her words. "As I've said many times." Mikoto yawned keeping his hands in front of his mouth and Koyuki looked at the clock. "Wow, I can't believe how late it is. I'll get your bed ready." She said getting up but Mikoto snatched her wrist forcing her to look at him.

"Not yet. Just a bit longer." He said. Koyuki sat back down at the far end of the couch much to her surprise, Mikoto decided to lay his head on her lap facing upwards. She blushed at him looking up at her then he let out a short chuckle. Koyuki couldn't take it. The image if Mikoto, the hailed violent tempered Red King, in such an innocent position gazing up at her. It made her want to run her fingers through his messy red hair. Deciding to act upon that desire, Mikoto closed his eyes from approval. His soft moans gave her a new high that she had grown to crave. "You don't know how good that feels." He whispered. Before she knew it, Mikoto had drifted off to sleep. Koyuki gazed down at how peaceful his expression looked finally getting a moments rest, she kept on playing in his hair. It didn't take much longer then she too drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, Koyuki awoke from sunlight shining through the cracks in her blinds gracefully opening up her eyes then they shot open as she remembered that Mikoto was still here. She could have sworn that she fell asleep with his head on her lap so what was she doing in bed? Her heart rate increased when she got out of bed and threw her hair up into a messy ponytail. Was he still here? Koyuki placed a hand on her door knob and opened the door to walk out noticing his red hair out of the corner of her eye.

"Morning." She said rubbing her eyes.

"Morning." He replied to her turning around with nothing but a towel on his lower half. His body caught her off guard so much that she almost took out a coffee table with her. Those defined muscles of his were enough to send anyone off of their feet but she managed not to come completely crashing down. This was the first time she had seen him completely shirtless and the view was heaven. "You okay?" He asked watching her try to keep her balance.

"Yeah, I was just caught off guard." Koyuki blushed like mad with a different take on a red aura. She had completely forgotten that she set a towel out for him to take a shower in the morning but seeing him shirtless ran her over with recollection. Mikoto smirked at her.

"You like what you see?" He questioned. Her blush deepened and he reacted with a chuckle before making his way towards her. Mikoto pressed his hand against the wall and looked down at her and she kept her hands up against her own chest unconsciously trying to form a barrier between them. Everything about him right now made her insides scream. He was playing with her, provoking her and she couldn't hold back for much longer. "You're so cute when you blush like that. You look so innocent." _Dammit Mikoto,_ she thought.

"You must have had a pretty good sleep last night to be in such a good mood." Koyuki said trying to change the mood then he took his hand off of the wall and took a small step back from her. Again he smiled.

"The best night in a long time. I woke up once and brought you to your bed. I figured that you probably weren't as comfortable as I was on your lap." He said walking away and putting his jeans back on then he took off of the towel. Koyuki was almost saddened that he was dressing himself. When he grabbed his white shirt she had to stop him.

"Uh, Mikoto?" He halted and looked at her. Red returned to her face. "Do you think that maybe after I shower, could I wear your shirt? Just for a while, then I'll give it right back." Mikoto looked at her not showing any signs of the surprise that he was feeling but gave another smile.

"Sure." His low voice hummed like music in her ears.

Koyuki decided to take the opportunity to hop in the shower. It was the first time that they had spent the night together seeing each other at a different level. Koyuki's heart grew hotter thinking about this being the first time she had seen Mikoto shirtless and sleep so peacefully. It was her first real dinner she made for him like a wife cooking for her husband. She couldn't help but feel giddy getting to know him more for being him and not the violent tempered king everyone viewed him as. As for Mikoto, this was one of his first times being so close to her as far as connecting with her. It seems that in this incident of him losing all of his sleep something good came out of it that he could spend some quality time with the woman he had been growing towards. Every day at HOMRA he wished that it would be just the two of them but there was always someone else around that he wasn't made comfortable to be in front of with her but he had serious plans of telling them soon. He wanted to make her happy in front of everyone and not just in private. In this time they had together they both felt themselves coming closer to one another in what could be described as love.

Koyuki shut off the valve and reached for a towel to dry her hair with. She sighed as she felt the day was coming very soon for her where she could look him in the eyes and genuinely tell him that she loved him. A reflection looked back at her naked body in the mirror and asked her if she would be ready to give herself to him. Surely he was ready, he was a guy and guys were ready much sooner. She figured that he was probably waiting for her to become ready but that would be opening up and exposing herself to the point where she didn't know who she could trust. Seeing as to the life that her mother continues to live, she didn't want to end up being that way. She had already been exposed to so much that no child should have seen but she wanted Mikoto to open up to her this way but she wasn't sure if once he gets what he wants then he will be out of her life like most men that have been with her mother. She had already trusted Mikoto so much, more than she ever thought she could a man but she didn't know if she was doing the right thing.

Taking in the scent of his musk, Koyuki threw his white shirt overtop of herself with just a pair of underwear on taking one last look in the mirror before she went back out to him. Of course his shirt was too big on her, as to be expected, and was so comfortable but his V-neck hung low on her chest revealing more of her breasts than she was comfortable with. Koyuki walked back out with him, finding him lying on her couch with his arms behind his head, with a mildly troubled look on her face. She didn't know how she should tell him her thoughts or if it was even the right time. Dismissing her thoughts as she shook her head, she then walked over to him on the couch and lay right on top of him with her chin resting on her arms and her soft breasts pressed against his firm chest while looking into his eyes. The feeling of their bare chests making contact with one another sent electrifying sensation throughout their bodies. His eyes couldn't help but look down her shirt.

"You sure are a sight to see first thing in the morning." Mikoto said his voice making her shake on the insides all she could do was smile back at him. The way he looked at her gave her the chills she could almost feel him hardening against her legs that rested in between his.

"How long should we give it before everyone questions where you are?" Koyuki asked knowing that if Mikoto didn't show up at any part of the morning then everyone would be hammering him with questions. That would make him explain how it is none of their business however, Kusanagi would be questioning what they did while they spent the night together.

"I'll go in about an hour." He started. "But I don't want you there at all today." Koyuki's face lifted with confusion. "I think it's time I told all of the guys and I don't want you to be there for that. They are all brats and will take this the wrong way. I want them to ask me all the questions so they don't bug you about it." Suddenly making perfect sense, Koyuki nodded her head. Things were about to get much more dramatic and difficult but she trusted him to handle it. He has more control over them than she does with his violent temper.

"Are you sure you don't want to do it together? I mean it is about us, not just you."

"They are guys and they will ask questions about where we are together. I don't want them to say anything stupid." He finished. Koyuki understood exactly what he meant but she did want to see everybody's reactions. Mikoto looked back down at her. "Koyuki, be honest with me. What do you see me as? A monster? A beast?" She was confused at this sudden unexpected question. He was getting more serious which meant he wanted her. Yes, at first she viewed him as a monster and a beast when she first met him but after going through so many experiences with him her view of him changed. He had beastly behaviors but that did not make him a beast.

"I see you as a human. You are not perfect and neither am I. Just because you feel like a monster or a beast does not mean that you always are. You have your moments but they usually are for the good of your friends. You are more dependable and caring though you may not outwardly show it. At first I noticed though you had so many friends and comrades you always seemed lonely like nobody really understood you but I see you changing. Bit by bit you've started to open up to me and I thank you for choosing me to be the one to talk to but you still get those distant moments. You're like a mystery that I'd like to crack." Koyuki spoke. "I… really like you." She practically whispered those last words with a blush on her face while she squeezed her arms against her chest. "Why do you ask this so suddenly?" Mikoto struggled to keep looking in her eyes.

"While I've been up in the night sleepless, I've been thinking about you. I want to know if I am really making you happy. I've noticed how much more at peace I am with myself especially when I'm around you. Are you okay with the way things have been going with us?" Koyuki smiled at his bravery. For a man, this was one of the hardest topics to talk about and now he was serious enough.

"Yes, ever since I returned to HOMRA the first time, I felt that I too have been growing as a person and I appreciate all that you have done for me. I want this to be long term for us if you are willing." He smiled at her and rubbed her up and down her bare thigh. She tried to make it easy as possible for him and his response was one of relief.

"Yeah." Mikoto grunted.


	21. Chapter 21

His clothes smelled like her which put a smirk on his face as Mikoto walked to HOMRA bar where he was about to do some major explaining. Koyuki supported him and made clear that she wanted to be with him so in his mind everything was a go. He expected nothing less than a negative reaction from the majority of the guys with the exception being Tatara, he always seemed to support him no matter what he did. Mikoto took out a cigarette and snapped his fingers igniting the end and took in his first breath of nicotine. He hadn't even realized that he was smiling until the smoke pushed its way past his lips. Mikoto pushed his hand against the bar doors and entered his domain.

"Good morning, king." Tatara sang with his usual overjoyed expression. Mikoto looked around. _Shit, not everybody's here_ he thought. Some of the guys were there then there was Tatara and Kusanagi at the counter. Now he would have to explain everything twice. He already didn't want to do it once. He dropped his weight down in a barstool with one seat between him and Tatara with Kusanagi working behind the counter. Kusanagi smirked at his king with a slight nod while making eye contact.

"So everyone should be here in a few minutes." Kusanagi informed tossing a coffee down Mikoto's way sliding against the wood surface. Mikoto received it and chugged it back like a beer taking a deep breath after he set it down.

"What's got you so worked up?" Tatara asked.

"Mikoto's got an important meeting with all of HOMRA."

"What's it about?"

"You'll hear about it soon enough." Kusanagi said doing the talking. Mikoto finished off his cigarette before he had anymore of his coffee and crushed the butt in an ashtray. Soon enough the loud ones came bursting through the door in some petty argument with each other. Yata, Chitose, and Bandou were squabbling with one another joined buy a very irritated Shouhei and Dewa that hung their heads wanting the senselessness to end. Now everybody was here. Chitose stopped mid argument and looked around like something was off.

"Hey don't you ignore me, we aren't finished this yet." Yata said forming a fist at his comrade. Soon everybody keened into what Chitose had noticed. He walked over to his king getting closer to him to confirm his suspicions before he said anything. Mikoto was not so easily intimidated.

"You smell like chicks." He concluded. Everybody practically jumped out of their seats. Chitose's sense of smell was never wrong. A circle formed around him at the bar.

"Girls?" Yata questioned. "Mikoto's been around girls?"

"Spill it man, who's the lady?" Bandou encouraged.

"Or ladies." Eric said at the back of the crowd.

"Hey back off. The king is entitled to his own life and none of you brat's have any say in it." Kusanagi threatened but Mikoto responded by slowly standing up to face the crowd like a man. His face screamed disinterest as he tried to hide what he was really feeling. His silence was enough to confirm everyone's suspicions.

"MIKOTO! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Yata gasped placing both of his hands on the beanie covering his head. Everyone else gasped and oo'd along.

"The king has been breached!" Kamamoto hollered. Mikoto responded by punching Kamamoto in the face sending him flying backwards onto a table knocking it over. Suddenly everyone looked more serious facing their king again after examining the body on the ground.

"So who's the lucky lady?" Tatara asked trying to calm the situation down. Never before had they seen their king look so nervous though he was trying to hide it. Not even the great Red King can keep his wits about him when it comes to breaking the news that he had been seeing someone that everyone considered family. Everyone leaned into him.

"Koyuki." He mumbled in a low voice. Tatara wasted no time for the congratulations.

"I knew it." Yata accuse pointing at Mikoto. Mikoto nonchalantly looked over at the skater. "I knew there was something funny going on between you two. The moment she left for the Research Center your mood has gone downhill and you have been on edge. Once she came home everything changed." Mikoto punched Yata so that he joined Kamamoto on the ground.

"But I don't understand. Why Koyuki? You told all of us to stay away from her." Chitose said scratching his head. "Had I known that you were going after her, she would have been fair game." Mikoto was about to strike the one in plaid but Chitose knew what to expect so he dodged it.

"Koyuki is not some prize to be won. She is a lady." Kusanagi interjected.

"Kusanagi, you _knew_ about this?" Yata questioned trying to stop his nosebleed from being punched in the face.

"Ah my life has been ruined." Bandou said overdramatically. Shouhei consoled his friend.

"When did this happen?" Tatara, being the voice of reason, asked.

"Officially not long after she got back from the Research Center.

"So you've been screwing around with her for that long." Bandou said also joining Kamamoto and Yata on the floor.

"How far have you taken it?" Kosuke asked.

"Have you banged her up?" Eric decided to ask what was on everyone else's mind. Mikoto shook his head.

"What gives man?" Chitose gestured.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Mikoto said under his breath at the playboy.

"Alright this conversation has gone too far. Mikoto's a big boy. He can take care of himself." Kusanagi intruded. Mikoto thought to himself how ironic that was. He couldn't take care of himself. If it wasn't for Koyuki he would either be starving somewhere or he would have lost control of his aura ages ago in truth she was the one taking care of him but they weren't made aware of that.

"I don't want to hear any of you harassing her or treating Koyuki any differently. She is still a member of HOMRA like everybody else." Mikoto warned. "Oh and hands off." He concluded making his way through the crowd and heading upstairs to be alone after surviving a dangerous situation. That was how Mikoto Suoh settled important matters. All of the guys stood there just looking at each other in confusion complaining on how things were going to be so different and awkward when those two are together around everybody else.

"Alright go on, get lost all of ya. That's the end of the meeting." Kusanagi shouted waving a towel around like it was some kind of deadly weapon. Everybody scattered and went off into their own quarters, some of them leaving. Tatara, however, stayed seated at the bar finishing up his drink. "Well that went better than expected. Now Koyuki can come back to work."

Mikoto walked up to his room with hands deep in his pockets reflecting on what just happened. Walking to the bar he found himself smiling but after this little confession he found himself frowning. Did he do the right thing? He felt as if he could have started a civil war in HOMRA the way the young and immature ones were reacting. Mikoto took out his PDA and typed a message to Koyuki saying that he finally let the cat out of the bag and reminded her not to come around to the bar for the rest of the day for her own safety. After he had finished and sent the text, he threw his PDA next to him on the bed then looked at his right hand remembering one of the nightmares that he had of his aura burning through his skin but then he recollected a conversation that he and Tatara had some time ago.

 _"_ _I believe there is nothing to be afraid of. A king is what you're meant to be and that means your powers are not meant for destruction. They exist to protect, I guarantee that. If you find someone you really wish to protect then you'll understand what I mean, all you have to do is find that special someone."_

Finally he could start to understand what he meant now that he had Koyuki in his life. It had been a while since he and Koyuki became a thing since the time he kissed her the day that she came back from the Research Center, he realized how long two months could be especially when you look forward to somebody's return. He didn't admit to it but Yata was right. The entire time Koyuki was gone Mikoto was in a bad mood, it only got better the closer it came for her return. He hoped that he wouldn't have to go through anything like that again.

There was a light knock at the door followed by the cheerful Tatara poking his head through the opening. His smile was always cheerful and could light up almost any mood.

"Hey, king, can I come in?" He asked and Mikoto grunted in response. Tatara walked in and shut the door behind him. "I take it that you've been thinking about this for a while. I mean telling a group of guys that you've found someone isn't easy, especially considering it's someone we all know and the fact that you've never shown any interest in women up until now."

"Are you here to side with the other guys?" Mikoto groaned and Tatara responded with a shake of the head.

"Quite the opposite really. I think that Koyuki is a perfect match for you. In a lot of ways you two are opposites but I think that's really what makes her so good for you. She seems to know when something's bothering you and can get you to a more calm state of mind. You have a lot of anger and are often on the verge of snapping but when she's around it's almost like you anger just vanishes. Koyuki is emotionally vulnerable and seems to have insecurities but you step up to protect her when she needs it the most."

"You sure you didn't know anything about us?" Mikoto asked lazily.

"I had no idea." Tatara laughed. "I was just as surprised as the other guys but really I think that this is wonderful. I believe you two were meant to be together." Suddenly Mikoto felt fidgety. He had plans of being with Koyuki for a long period of time but hearing Tatara say that they were meant to be together, he suddenly got the image of forever being in his mind. The thought of forever made him almost anxious. Would Koyuki want to be with him forever? It was too early to think that. Mikoto dismissed those thoughts from his head.

"I want to do something very special for her... but I need everyone's help." Mikoto started. Tatara's ears perked up. "Koyuki told me that there's someone she hasn't seen for a long time and I wanted to find that person for her. I don't know where to start other than Anna but I don't know how far this person is from us."

"Say no more. I'd love to help you with that. In fact, I'll let Anna know as soon as she gets here today. I'm sure we can find something between her and all of the guys spreading out and using our resources. Maybe we can even convince Scepter 4 to help us out with this. Kusanagi knows how to get information out of them that's for sure." Mikoto suddenly felt confident. He's been thinking about this for a while but has had a strong sense of doubt. People could be really hard to find if they were trying not to be found. Anna would be of great help with this. She would be able to obtain information through Koyuki without her knowing and can use that to find whoever and if this person was out of her range then they would have to pull some strings through Scepter 4 or may have to go through the other coloured clans to find them. Mikoto hadn't even talked to Kusanagi about this yet but he would agree to it regardless. "I can tell by the look in your eyes."

"Huh?" Mikoto's head snapped up to meet Tatara's gaze.

"You really care for her. I think your feelings for her run farther back than you're admitting to." Tatara explained. Mikoto had never processed that thought up until now but knowing how Tatara was able to read him he was probably right. Sometimes that irritated Mikoto about him, that and the fact that he kisses up to him a lot. He had always hated it when people treated him like he was almighty, in his mind he just wanted to be left alone. Still, he couldn't despise Tatara. A lot of the time he says things when Mikoto really needs to hear it. "Looks like you've found that special someone." Tatara concluded on his way out leaving Mikoto alone to those thoughts. He didn't try to hide his smirk after the bubbly blonde left the room.


	22. Chapter 22

As expected the next time Koyuki went to HOMRA she entered awkward wonderland. The boys couldn't help but treat her differently and the fact that Mikoto threatened them actually made it worse. Kusanagi, Tatara, and Anna treated her the same, even Eric did since he never really talks to anyone. He was the most emo out of everyone there always sitting in the corner and the only person he really talked to was Kosuke of all people. That aside, Mikoto didn't act any differently towards her when anyone could be witnessing them. Only when they were alone he showed affection. It was almost like he was shy to hold her hand, cuddle or kiss her in public but how many guys do like doing that. Koyuki tried not to show it but this irritated her. Finally he has the balls to tell confront his buddies but he doesn't have the balls to deal with the harassment of them making wolf whistling sounds or cat growls when they are in the same room together. A few times he had to put the boys in their place. Since then, Koyuki and Mikoto have gone on a few more dates together. When Yuzu came over to visit Shizume City, Koyuki was relieved that there would be another girl under the roof for a while to make things less awkward.

"I can't wait to meet Mr. Dreamy. He sounds amazing." Yuzu squealed shaking her head with both of her palms on her cheeks. Koyuki inwardly squee'd with her. Yuzu had landed yesterday and they were now walking to the bar together to meet Mikoto, Kusanagi and the rest of HOMRA. Yuzu looked over to Koyuki noticing her blushing while looking down at the pavement while smiling. "He still makes you blush? Girl, you've fallen head over heels for this guy." Koyuki looked over to her friend and shrugged while smiling.

"Gah, I'm so excited." Koyuki finally burst out. "You're going to like everyone. I hope everyone is there today so that you can meet them all. It's most likely because it's Saturday. Even Anna should be there."

"I can't wait to meet Anna, she sounds so cute. Can I take her home with me?"

"No, Mikoto will probably kill you if you try that." Koyuki said honestly and laughed.

"He sounds like a father figure to her, or more like a big brother. Are you her mother figure?"

"W-what? N-no, why would you ask something like that?" Koyuki couldn't help but blush again.

"If Mikoto is protective of this little girl as you say and you're going out with this guy then that kind of automatically makes you her mother figure." Yuzu finished and Koyuki denied and said she was nothing like a mother to her. It made her think though of what it would be like for the three of them to be a family but the thoughts of that were too much to handle. "Afterwards you have to tell me more about him when nobody's around."

When the two entered HOMRA bar they were greeted by none other than the owner himself in his usual lighthearted and flirty manner and being the outgoing young lady that Yuzu was, she greeted him in her own lighthearted way without so much as to the flirty touch. Kusanagi immediately offered Yuzu something to drink on the house being the fine gentleman that he is. Yuzu was impressed at the old English type bar and just before Kusanagi was going to go off on his long winded speeches about his bar and how he came to own it, Koyuki introduced her friend to everybody else at HOMRA. All of the guys greeted her in her own manner but when it came to Yata:

"And this is Yata." Koyuki emphasized on his name so that Yuzu knew that this was the guy that she had been told about being afraid of girls. Yata nervously adjusted his toque.

"N-nice to meet you." He swallowed.

"Where's Anna? I want to meet her too." Yuzu said. The guys looked at each other and shook their heads while shrugging. Typical girls talking about every little detail and Yuzu had come to behave as if she knew everyone personally now. "I want to see the cute outfit that you say she wears."

"Anna should be upstairs with Mikoto. Why don't you go on upstairs and tell them to come down here, Koyuki." Kusanagi suggested. Yuzu jumped and was about to dash upstairs herself but Koyuki had to hold her back knowing that Mikoto could be sleeping and if he was disturbed, the bar may no longer be in existence and Kusanagi may or may not be a little upset about that. Yuzu stayed behind as Koyuki went on without her. Upon reaching the upstairs, Koyuki walked into Mikoto's room and told the two to come downstairs. Anna put her marbles in her pocket and went over to grab Koyuki's hand.

"I'll be down in a minute." Mikoto groaned rolling in his bed. Koyuki walked downstairs holding on to the loli's hand. As soon as Anna's red Mary-Jane shoes could be seen tapping down each step, Yuzu stood up and squealed as soon as she laid eyes on the fair girl in her red and black gothic Victorian dress. Suddenly, the bar became a lot louder from Yuzu's screeching.

"Eeeeeeeee, you're so cute! Kawaii!" Yuzu screeched encasing herself onto the youngest female member. "You're like a doll! Where have you been all my life?" Koyuki practically had to pry her best friend off of Anna then she calmed down. The energetic brown haired female eyed Anna up and down admiring her red ruffled and layered attire. Her pale skin was almost as fair as porcelain and her unique dark subtle red eye colour truly made her look almost doll-like. It was more than enough for Yuzu to want to take her home for herself. Kusanagi chuckled from behind the bar.

"Anna, this is Yuzu." Koyuki began looking at Anna apologetically.

"Your best friend." Anna finished. The blue haired nodded.

"You told her about me and she remembers me?" Yuzu squealed again.

"Sorry, she's not normally like this, just when she's around kids." Koyuki explained overtop of her best friends joy. The guys all gave different reactions but most of them just laughed. Footsteps started from the upstairs making their way down the stairs and Koyuki's eyes brightened up. As Mikoto stepped to the bottom level of the building, Yuzu dropped Anna and eyed the attractive man before her. Her eyes outlined his muscular figure and eventually made its way to his naturally frowning face. It had a way of him appearing more intimidating than what he actually was. Koyuki walked over and stood beside the man. "Mikoto, this is Yuzu and Yuzu this is Mikoto." She beamed. Yuzu looked between the two for a moment and wondered how her best friend ever managed to snag a guy like him. He was both breathtaking and intimidating at the same time.

"It's so nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you." Yuzu said extending her right hand out to him. She stood there for what felt like an eternity for Koyuki. Mentally freaking out, Koyuki walked between the two trying to prevent a looming scenario.

"Uh, Mikoto is a germaphobe so he doesn't like shaking hands." Koyuki blurted.

"Okay then, how about a fist bump?" Yuzu gestured. Mikoto stood there with his hands in his pockets looking down at the fist before him. He sighed before placing a hand on his own opposite shoulder to crack it before he awkwardly bumped her fist not knowing what else to do. The guys in the bar all burst out laughing until they met the eyes of their king threatening to assassinate them all. "You have amazing eyes." Yuzu said under her breath looking at the man glaring daggers at his clansmen.

"So Koyuki tells us that you're going to a world class university." Tatara jumped in trying to move things along. "You must be really smart."

"I graduated from high school at the top of my class and got the highest marks than anyone who attended our school in the past decade. I'm studying to become a worldwide Neurologist-surgeon so that my patients can fly into wherever I'm located." Yuzu bragged in a cheerful way.

"That's impressive. I guess you and Koyuki did a lot of studying together back in your school days?" Tatara asked scratching his nose.

"Yeah, I tried to tutor her but she was holding me back so I had to go my own way in studying so that I could get the best marks possible. Koyuki had a bit of trouble keeping up in school. She tended to rank near the bottom or the score roster." She answered innocently. Mikoto looked down beside him to see Koyuki sulking against the wall. All of the guys were in shock. They had figured that Koyuki was smart just by the way she spoke and held herself and they all chuckled learning that she was as much of an idiot as everyone else. Koyuki turned her head against the wall to the guys sitting on the couch and glared at them. She thought that she must have done a good job since the guys stopped laughing but what really did it were the death glares they got from Mikoto standing above her. How threatening can a below average girl be to a bunch of violent flame wielding mobsters?

"That reminds me of the time when Koyuki and I were going to the school dance together. Well we had picked out our dresses and had plans on going stag but she ended up getting such a low grade in biology class that she had to stay in and work on a term paper for extra credit in the biology room while the rest of the school was out in the gym during prom." Yuzu spoke nonchalantly. Everyone laughed hysterically even Mikoto couldn't hold back his chuckle as he looked down at her.

"You too, Mikoto?" Koyuki complained right next to him. Once he stopped laughing he just smiled at her.

"Yeah, Mikoto's been a trouble causer in school too. There have been a few incidents when Mikoto had been locked inside the girls change room by some guys that had some beef with him. He would get blocked in without any girls being inside and when girls walked in, girls screamed at him and he got in a detention every time it happened. Kusanagi would always have to bail him out and tell the teachers what really happened." Tatara explained. Everyone burst out laughing again and Koyuki was the one laughing at the scowling redhead this time. He caught her laughing at him but decided to brush it off since it seemed to amuse Koyuki. Sometimes Tatara didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. That's what best friends are for. They're there to embarrass you in front of your boyfriends/girlfriends when no one else can and best friends don't get mad, they get even… eventually.

Several hours of awkwardness and embarrassment later for Mikoto but mostly Koyuki, the two girls decided to head out for the night back to Koyuki's condo. They had also spent their time trying to get Yata to loosen up around Yuzu which took a little effort but he seems to be getting better around girls. Yuzu said her 'goodbyes' and 'nice to meet you' then went after Anna again. Mikoto was kind of glad in a way when Yuzu was leaving. Her energy clashed with his laziness and he wasn't very talkative himself. Conversation isn't something that could be forced out of Mikoto.

"I can't believe how many guys you've made friends with. Where's the Koyuki that I know?"

"If it wasn't for me working there, I wouldn't have made friends with any of them, especially Mikoto." Koyuki reflected. If it wasn't for her burning down her old work place then she probably would never gone back to HOMRA. It was a blessing in disguise as cruel as that seemed.

"He's even dreamier than the way you talk about him. I can tell by the way you look at him that you really like him. Have you two slept together?" Koyuki shyly shook her head avoiding eye contact as her best friend looked at her. "Is that something that you would do with him or are you still…?"

"I want to. I'm just so scared. I don't know what I'll do if we're alone and he wants to. I haven't talked to him about it at all. What if he wants to leave me after I tell him?" Koyuki feared. Her mother yet again ruined something for her by what she was exposed to in the past. Men only want one thing then they leave. Nothing wonderful lasts forever. If she didn't give herself to Mikoto he would leave but if she did then he would also leave. Suddenly, Koyuki had to bury her face in her hands to hide the rapid flow of tears. Yuzu pulled her off to the side where her friend couldn't be seen by the public.

"Don't say that. If he really loves you then he will stay with you until you're all ready. Not all guys are the same. This is something that you should tell him because if he doesn't know how you feel than he will think that it's something wrong with him. You need to do that before you go any further in your relationship. It's not fair to him to be put in the same category as other guys. Did you guys say that you love the other yet?" Koyuki lifted her head and sniffed before shaking her head. Her eyes were almost as red as Mikoto's aura. "Is that how you feel for him yet?" The blue haired girl refused to say anything instead she shrugged. Yuzu looked into her broken eyes patiently waiting for her friend to come around. She finally tried to speak

"I really really like him. I don't want to let him go" was all she managed to squeak out.

"I know." Yuzu whispered before embracing Koyuki as she wept. "We'll deal with it when it comes to then but you two aren't quite there yet. Just take it one day at a time."

In the midst of weeping in her friends arms, everything went black around Koyuki and she lost the use of all of her senses. Her ears felt the pressure of the deafening silence. She knew what this was but it had been so long since she had used her Chrono powers but Koyuki wasn't even trying to use them right now. She accidentally in her sorrow slipped through her own consciousness and into the consciousness of Yuzu and the sight was horrifying.

Koyuki's sight was distorted gray. It appeared like Yuzu was about to board a flight in the local airport. This must be her flight back to England. When she boarded, there were a few others that joined the same flight.

Her vision shifted to her screaming friend.

The plane was hijacked and was taken off course and taken to a runway in some kind of desert that was sure not to be England and everybody was forced off the plane by a group of men. They all had the same crest tattooed on various parts of their body just like HOMRA except their insignia had a bunch of circles connected with lines to form some kind of tree the way it looked like branches reaching out.

Blood. So much blood.

A head rolled on the ground.

Its eyes stared directly into Yuzu's destroying all emotions except terror as blood still spilled out of the neck.

Why was this happening? Who would want to do this and for what reason? What did they want? Who were they after?

"Koyuki."

"Huh?" Koyuki snapped back to reality by the grip Yuzu had digging her fingers into her shoulder all of her senses returning to her.

"Your eyes just then… it looked like you weren't even alive there for a moment." Yuzu mentioned. Anxiety struck her like a soccer ball hitting her in the stomach. If that was Yuzu's future, Koyuki had to do something to stop it but if she skips on this flight could that be the possibility of the flight she would take if she missed her first one back to England? Either way this still was a possible future that she wanted to avoid at all costs without having her find out. "Koyuki, what's happening?"

"Yuzu, when was it you're going back to England?"

"Let's see. The 2nd of August. Two weeks."

"Is it possible for you to stay here longer?" Yuzu's heart broke hearing this. She hadn't been here very long but already she could feel the pain of leaving her friend for another semester. The heartache was almost too much to bear with the one she was going to miss staring right at her.

"I suppose but not by a whole lot longer. Why do you say that?"

"It's just that you just got here and I want you to spend more time with everyone at HOMRA. We still have to help Yata and that could take a while." Koyuki smiled nervously curling her toes up in her shoes. Yuzu looked down. She knew her and knew when she wasn't being completely honest as she looked at Koyuki's shoes. Yuzu figured that Koyuki didn't even realize her odd habit that she does when she is anxious. Strange enough, Yuzu could even tell when she was doing it when Koyuki wasn't wearing open toed shoes. She tends to curl her toes in and stand on the sides of her feet.

"Koyuki, I know there's more to it than what you're telling me. I'll delay the flight for a couple days but I can't go any more than that." Koyuki's serious expression transitioned to a weak smile and she nodded to her friend easing the burden by only a little bit.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has fav'd and commented. I appreciate all of the feedback and am glad that you are enjoying the story so far.

Every summer has to have a beach chapter. So this is one of THE biggest chapters as far as exposition and stuffs which means we are getting closer to the smutty stuff. There's a little taste for you in this chapter =)

Koyuki placed a hand above her brows shielding her azure eyes from the sun. Not a cloud in sight, this was going to be a perfect afternoon and they got the whole beach to themselves.

"Looks like we're the first ones here. Where is everybody else?" She looked to Mikoto who was carrying a cooler full of ice and drinks. He dropped the container right next to where she was standing.

"Not everyone could make it and the others probably don't know where this place is. I'll give them a while and then I'll call them." Koyuki set up the umbrella right where the cooler was placed then spread out a couple towels. Koyuki wished that Yuzu could have come out for the afternoon but she was only here for while and wanted to spend some time with her family.

"Should we wait for them?" She asked turning around and seeing Mikoto take off his white shirt. His body was magnificently muscular and chiseled which made Koyuki scream on the inside fighting against herself not to touch him or squeal. She wanted so badly to run her hands up his chest feeling every curve of his muscles. He turned to her and she mentally screamed again as the sun practically radiated off of his sweaty body. Mikoto took off his bracelet and long necklace but left the chocker on. Much to Koyuki's surprise, he plunked his body down on a towel and lay back with his arms behind his head. "I take it that's a no." She said standing on a nearby towel. Mikoto had his eyes closed but peeked over to her as she began to undress herself. Koyuki started with her bottoms undoing a button then unzipping it dragging it over the curve of her thighs then kicking it to the side. She then crossed her arms grabbing the corners of her shirt lifting it over her head revealing a plum coloured bikini top and her bottoms were the same colour but had a dark see through sash skirt tied overtop at the side. Mikoto closed his eyes once she joined him on the ground.

A while later after time had been lost Koyuki started to have a bad feeling that something happened to the others. Mikoto was still in the same position on his towel and hasn't even moved an inch since they got there. Koyuki finally stood up and walked down to the water's edge until the cool waves gently lapped over her feet tickling her toes. _The nerve of that guy, s_ he thought. _He probably planned this to get the two of us alone and then he spends it sleeping in the shade, lazy bum. But he's so gorgeous I can't be mad at him._

"Is something the matter?" His voice made her jump before turning around to find him directly behind her. She blushed like a high school girl talking to her crush for the first time.

"Mikoto, you didn't do this on purpose did you? Nobody's here." She asked holding her hands behind her back.

"Maybe I did." He said smirking slightly. Koyuki rolled her eyes smirking as well.

"You know if you wanted a date all you had to do was ask."

"And give you the opportunity to refuse? I don't think so." His smirk grew.

"Fine then, king Mikoto, show me a good time."

"How many times have I told you not to call me king?" He asked taking a couple steps towards her but she put out her hands to stop him.

"No kissing. I'm supposed to be mad at you." Mikoto smiled taking that as a challenge. Koyuki went farther into the water until it was at her hips then she turned and looked back to him with a smile. Mikoto smiled back following her after she dove completely under the water. Seconds later she rose to the surface taking a deep breath of air and looked back at him. Mikoto dove under the water and rose up right beside her and took her hand. Koyuki blushed as he leaned in closer to her trying to steal a kiss but Koyuki turned her head to the side instead he kissed her on the cheek. After he pulled away, Koyuki turned back to him only to have to turn her head again to dodge his second kiss which landed on her other cheek this time. She playfully laughed but Mikoto was just getting started.

"I said no-" Mikoto cut her off by yanking her arm towards him and he caught her in his embrace and planted his lips overtop of hers. Koyuki couldn't help but close her eyes and kiss him back. She wrapped her arms around his muscular neck pressing her soft lips into his and closed her eyes. Mikoto kept his eyes open looking at her then pulled away.

"Your king demands a kiss." He said making Koyuki chuckle. Their smiles slowly faded as the space between them began to enclose. Their lips met slowly and passionately this time moving with one another. Mikoto took his hand out of the water and placed in on her back to bring her tighter into him and her arms fastened around him in response. Koyuki felt as if she could stay in his arms forever as their wet bare skin pressed against each other. Mikoto was the first to lift his head and looked in her eyes then Koyuki met his. There was a small smirk on his face as he moved his other hand under her chin. Koyuki's eyes began to close at his touch but flashed open upon hearing a car honk nearby. Kusanagi came out of the driver's side of a car with Yata riding shotgun and Tatara, Anna, Kamamoto, Chitose, Bandou and Shouhei came out of the back. The lovers broke apart.

"Well well, it seems that our timing is off." Kusanagi smirked. If he had been within arm's reach of his long time friend then he would have patted him on the back. "Close your eyes Yata."

"What were you two doing?" Tatara joked making Koyuki flushed and take a few steps away from the man beside her. Yata stepped out of the car blushing as well. It was weird to see him without his beanie. His hair was very messy without it.

"Cowabunga!" Kamamoto shouted yanking a surfboard off of the roof of the car and charged into the water joined with Chitose. Koyuki's mood shifted upon seeing everyone else after thinking that she would have the whole afternoon with Mikoto. They both walked out of the water to join the group.

"Sorry about our timing. We brought the snacks just like you asked." Kusanagi apologized rubbing the back of his head. Anna, Shouhei and Yata walked by holding fishing rods. "I thought we'd have some fish for dinner if we can catch any that is."

"That sounds like fun. Maybe I'll give it a try. What about you Mikoto?" Koyuki asked in a tone trying to hide the disappointment she was feeling.

"I will in a little while. You go on ahead." Koyuki nodded and ran off to join the fishers. Mikoto walked back with Kusanagi and sat down on the towels. He rested against his arms behind his head and frowned, which Kusanagi took note of. Kusanagi cracked open a beer and leaned against his lawn chair.

"Sorry about ruining your moment you were having back there. I think Koyuki is a little upset." Kusanagi apologized again. "You look a little put off by it too."

"How long have Koyuki and I officially been together?" Mikoto asked so only them two could hear. Kusanagi shifted uncomfortably.

"I dunno man. Isn't that something you should keep track of? You're the one in a relationship with her, not me. Besides that's kind of an important detail you should know before your first anniversary." Mikoto watched Koyuki in the distant as she reeled in a small fish and showed it off triumphantly. All the boys celebrated with her. "Is this your way of saying you're serious about her?" Mikoto grunted with a nod. "Are you going to make the first move or are you going to wait for her to do it?" Mikoto thought about it for a moment before answering. How would he know if she was ready?

"I don't think she will just out and say if she's ready."

"The only thing I can say to you is go with the flow. Talk to her about it if you have to."

Over the course of the afternoon, the group did everything that they could at the beach. They swam in the crystal clear water and all of the boys tried their hand at surfing but Kamamoto, Shouhei and Bandou weren't very good at it. Bandou had to jump in and rescue Shouhei at one point since he knocked his head on the board. Mikoto even tried his hand at surfing and could out do Kusanagi. Koyuki aided Anna in building a sandcastle while eating some refreshing watermelon. As the sun started to set, a fire was started so that they could cook the fish they caught to have for dinner.

"There we go." Tatara said wiping the sweat off of his forehead as Yata used his aura to light the campfire. "Who needs lighters anyways?"

"Now we just gotta go find some sticks so we can cook the fish. Do you think we have enough for everybody or should we see if we can catch more?" Yata asked.

"Remember that Kamamoto doesn't eat very much in the summer so we probably have enough." Chitose mentioned trying to take a shot at his now skinny friend but Kamamoto took it as a compliment. "Have you lost even more weight?"

"A little. Once August is over then I usually start to gain all my weight back."

"Thank goodness. Then you can stop stealing all of the girls away from me." Chitose responded.

"Gentlemen, the sticks. Go find some sticks." Kusanagi ordered sending Yata, Bandou and Shouhei off into the nearby area cluttered with trees. Mikoto sat by the fire they had just built and sipped on his cold beer watching Anna and Koyuki swim together in the shallows. Being a man with certain desires his perverted side was getting the better of him in the moment as he looked at her figure and certain features that bounced along with her movements in doing so he found that his beer suddenly got a lot warmer.

"We should get Koyuki to cook these." Chitose licked his lips feeling his mouth water.

"Koyuki needs a break too. She can't always cook for us." Kusanagi said. Just as Koyuki and Anna came out of the water, Mikoto got up and walked over to them with his hands in his pockets.

"May I cut in?" He asked. Anna nodded and let go of Koyuki's hand then ran off to the campfire. "Wanna go for a quick walk before dinner?"

"Okay." Koyuki nodded. Mikoto held her hand and led her away from the group around some large rocks and trees so that they could not be seen by the others. They both walked a little ways in silence along the water's edge. Occasionally waves swept up against their feet in the calm evening. Koyuki was the first one to look over at Mikoto and it made her glad to see that he was smiling. It was small but it still was a smile. The sight of this was more than enough to make her smile as well. "You sure had me fooled when the guys showed up late. I can't believe you did that." He lightly chuckled.

"They came earlier than I told them of all times. They just had to go and ruin our moment. Now I have to bring you over here to make it up to you." Mikoto's smile faded to his natural frown. It surprised Koyuki how fast his face changed. He definitely had something on his mind and Koyuki was going to call him out on it. She slowed down and stopped forcing him to as well. "What's wrong?"

"You're thinking of something, I can tell. Can you talk to me about it?" Mikoto averted her gaze not sure if and how he should bring it up to her. This was a very touchy subject. He asked Kusanagi how long they have been together to help see if the timing was right but he was of no help. This very moment he knew that he felt something for her that he wasn't sure how to explain. He never before felt so nervous about a single question before but this question determines where things are moving between them. He wanted to pleasure her like no one else could, to run his hands all over her each and every curve so that there was no part left untouched. He wanted to have her body press against his sweating and panting with her and hear her shouting his name as their bodies moved with one another. What would she think? Koyuki awaited his reply.

"Have you ever thought about us taking things further with us?"

"You mean like in bed?" Mikoto nodded and his heart sank as she turned away from him. This was never the start of anything good. He could see her shoulders stiffen. "I want to. I really do. I'm just… terrified." The tension in his body slowly exhaled.

"What scares you about it?"

"What will you do once we do it?" Mikoto was confused about the question. Koyuki tightened every muscle in her body. She didn't know how to ask him without grouping him in with every other man that has come into her life to be with her mother but she knew that he was a guy so he probably would do the same thing. "Will you leave?" Koyuki blurted out. He dropped her hand. It felt as if a knife were being pushed into his body then he felt his aura stirring inside of him. The blood that coursed through his veins felt like a river of lava burning its way through to up to his head to fill him with anger. He had to talk himself down. There had to be a reason why she would ask something like that.

"Why do you ask something like that?" He asked trying to hide the venom in his tone.

"It's what guys do." Koyuki simply said. "I told you about my mother and what she does. There has never been a guy who has stayed with her. They always pay and then leave. Every single one of them." Mikoto began to understand. It wasn't him. It was everyone else that has failed her to make her think this way. Now he really felt the urge to torch something. Mikoto quickly tried to think of something to say. Her thinking was so far from the truth, he just wanted her to be happy.

"I don't know what to say. I don't think there's anything that I can say to make you think otherwise but even if you don't believe me I want to be with you and make you happy. Sex won't change the way I feel about you. It's a way I can show you how I feel without saying a single word. I want you to be able to trust me." Mikoto tried to convince her to see his way. Koyuki turned sideways and looked at him with a weak smile while accepting the tears that rolled down her cheeks. It was etched in her brain so deep that she didn't know if she could even trust Mikoto though she desperately wanted to but things always seem too good to be true. Happy endings are only in fairy tales. Koyuki wanted everything that Mikoto wanted. She wanted him to be the one to break her that is if she would ever feel ready for it.

"How does having sex show me that you care?" She bluntly said. Koyuki wanted to believe that Mikoto was different from every other guy out there but she was only convincing herself that he wasn't like she wanted to believe that. He could see that he was in a losing battle.

"It's about what you do for the one you care about. It's about actions not words." He almost bit his tongue. How could he show Koyuki that he really cared for her? What action could he do to convince her that he was different then he remembered the person that he wanted to find for her. This is a surefire way to show that he cared for her. He felt like he was a half a world away from Koyuki at the moment. Mikoto almost laughed at himself surprised how far he would go for a girl. The Mikoto Suoh that everybody feared worried for a female. He never showed anything for any woman before and never imagined that he would be in the situation of rejection. Koyuki wiped away her own tears with her wrists.

"I really really like you Mikoto and I want to do it with you. I'm scared that if we do it you will leave me and if we don't do it you will get tired of it and leave me."

"I promise I won't leave you." He assured. Just hearing those words Koyuki felt more inclined to trust him but this made her wonder why she was so special. Why would the Red King choose her and want to be with her? She knew that she couldn't compare with other girls that could be out there. She then remembered that Mikoto saved her. The day that they first met he saved her from freezing to death and took her into HOMRA despite knowing nothing about her. Images came into her head of the time that she was kept hostage. Mikoto destroyed an entire clan just to keep her safe and even his Sword of Damocles began to crumble for her. That doesn't seem like someone who would take advantage of her then toss her to the side like she's worthless. Maybe there was another reason he wanted to be with her other than just to get in her pants.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Maybe next time we're alone we can give it a go, no guarantees though." Koyuki blushed. Mikoto smiled relieved then he pecked her on the lips.

"What made you change your mind?"

"You said it was it's about what you do, actions, and I just remembered all that you've done for me already. I don't know how I overlooked that." The flow of the conversation was overwhelming and exhausting. Koyuki's blush deepened. "I want you to be the one to take me." Mikoto felt as if a volcano erupted in his heart and felt like he just won the lottery. The person he loves most wanted him, the violent tempered Red King, to be her first. Koyuki pushed herself up and placed her lips on his planting both hands on his cheeks. When she pulled away, Mikoto bent down and kissed her again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and her arms locked around his neck. He traced her bottom lip with his tongue asking for an entrance in which she responded by smiling into his lips before opening up for him. His tongue moved past his own lips and began exploring. Koyuki couldn't help but moan into his mouth and dig her nails into his back a little. Mikoto pressed her against him with her breasts cushioning between them two. She could feel her heart beat against his muscular chest. He moved his hands up and down her sides tracing her figure and kept his hands on her hips subtly grinding her into him so that he could feel her there. Koyuki felt his bulge lightly gasping into his mouth as his tongue still played with hers. The sky began to light up then they pulled away to look at it. "Fireworks?"

"I think that means that dinner's ready." Mikoto said. Koyuki laughed before pulling away from his face. She slid her hand down to his and walked back to the group at the fire pit. Kusanagi was the first one to look up from the fish and smirked seeing the two approach with hand in hand.

"Looks like you got the message." He started before they took a seat around the fire. "Pass the fish over."

"What were YOU two doing over there?" Chitose asked pointing a fish skewer at the couple causing Yata to choke on his fish. Kamamoto and Bandou, who were sitting on either side of Yata leaned away from him as fish chunks came flying out of his mouth. Mikoto surprised everybody by not attacking Chitose but rather he smiled while chewing on his skewer. Yata gasped for air as he recovered.

"That's their little secret." Tatara began. "It's really good seeing the king smiling all the time."

"Yeah, Mikoto used to get in a bad mood so easily. I don't know how we always used to put up with him." Bandou said just before getting hit in the head by Mikoto's aura. It caused him to fall backwards onto the sand. Anna just looked at him. "Still violent tempered though." He groaned.

"That's your own damn fault." Yata defended.

"Did you want to make some more fireworks after dinner Anna?" Shouhei asked the pale little girl who just nodded into her fish.

"You brought fireworks?" Koyuki asked.

"HOMRA don't need no fireworks. Not when we got our aura." Kamamoto winked. Ever since he lost all that weight, he has been more attractive. He must know it because he tends to flirt more. All of the other guys hated him this time of year because he always stole the chicks away from them, Chitose taking most of the downfall. After all the food was gone, everyone stayed seated around the fire letting their food digest looking up at the almost dark sky waiting for it to get darker so that they can begin their fireworks. Stars began to peak out overhead. Koyuki rested her head on Mikoto's shoulder and closed her eyes taking in the peacefulness of the night. She didn't care what he thought, she was going to show affection to him in front of all the others weather he liked it or not. Maybe he will realize that she is not afraid of what the others think so there should be no reason for him to. Soon Mikoto closed his eyes and rested his head on hers with his hands behind him supporting both of their weight. Tatara and Kusanagi smiled to each other after noticing this. This was the first sign of affection that he gave Koyuki in front of everyone. Not everyone but the people that were present. They wouldn't admit it but they had always thought that their king would die alone from using too much of his aura but now they thought otherwise. Koyuki was the one that held him back from such a fate, the fate that the Red King before him had endured.

Shouhei was the first one to stand up and walked over to the water's edge bringing his elbow behind him before firing a fireball up into the sky exploding it over the surface of the ocean. Anna's face looked up to the beautiful red that shimmered in the sky twinkling out into the atmosphere. Yata was next to get up and join him making his own explosion in the sky. Yata made this one with a louder bang before fizzling out. Bandou, Chitose and Kamamoto got up and joined them. It wasn't like real fireworks, they were all the same red and weren't overly varying but they were still impressive. Koyuki lifted her glace up to the fireworks with her head still rested on Mikoto's shoulder. She prayed that she would remember this night forever.


	24. Chapter 24

It was late in the night and the bar had been emptied of all its customers the only people left were some of the usual gang sitting around. Kosuke took Anna home with Eric and Shouhei. Bandou, Dewa and Chitose were just on their way out leaving the bartender himself, Yata, Kamamoto, Tatara, Mikoto and Koyuki. Kusanagi decided to close up shop for the day and turned all of the taps off. They were all at the chairs at the counter gathered around the screen that dropped from the ceiling just in front of all the bottles of alcohol and watched the recording that Tatara had taken of all of them when they were at the beach. They relived the moments building sandcastles, burying a lazy Mikoto under a pile of sand, surfing, swordfights with wooden sticks, fishing, food and of course the fireworks. The way Tatara had put this together showed off his skill and creativity that was something he was known for. He always reflected through his hobbies.

"I gotta say that was one spectacular day." Tatara admitted leaning back on his chair. "Remember the time that Mikoto got up and tried surfing. That was a sight to see."

"Yeah considering how lazy he is. I never thought he'd actually DO something while we were there. Maybe it was to impress Koyuki." Kamamoto teased. Mikoto shot him a glare then resumed to watch the tape. Had he sat within arm's reach he would have sent him flying backwards but then again he wouldn't hear the end of it from Kusanagi for wrecking part of his bar.

"That's exactly why I film in the first place, so we can keep the memories of stuff like this forever." Tatara replied.

"Yeah cause nobody's gonna believe you if you said that Mikoto went surfing." Kamamoto jerked again then Yata, who was closest to him, wacked him on the head with his fist.

"Keep your crap comments to yourself and don't disrespect Mikoto." The skater shouted always being the loudest one in the room though Bandou could also rank high in the noise contest if he were here. Koyuki laughed as she watched the piece where Yata, Bandou, Shouhei and Chitose were having a surfing contest. Tatara could be heard laughing while he was filming all of the guys being taken out by a giant wave. She was sitting beside Mikoto and caught a glance of him smirking at her with the flickering light of the TV illuminating off of their skin. She smiled back and took his hand holding it underneath the counter. Mikoto was gradually getting better at showing affection with everyone around but he still had a ways to go. He was the infamous Red King after all. Affection doesn't come naturally to someone who is known for their temper but regardless he was making an effort. Koyuki liked it in a way that she was the only person to see a different side of him. It made her feel special like she was holding onto a secret that he keeps close.

"Alright that's the end of it." Tatara said turning off the screen as the video stopped playing. Kusanagi got up and turned the lights on in the room and everyone had to shield their eyes for a few seconds.

"Well that was a waste of an evening watching that." Yata joked.

"Come on. You know you like remembering the good times." Tatara said.

"The good times, you mean like yesterday?" Yata questioned in a bored tone.

"Doesn't matter it still was a good time." Kamamoto added. Koyuki looked outside and noticed that it was almost dark the only thing illuminating the streets was street lights and light up signs. The temperature had gotten to a more manageable degree where if you sit there you're fine but if you start to move a little bit then you'd work up a sweat. Yata jumped up from his chair.

"Well it's been chill but I gotta split." He said. Kamamoto also got up and left with him which Yata found annoying. "Why do you always have to follow me wherever I go? You're like a stray dog. Get lost ya mutt." Yata shouted on the way out the door. Koyuki was also thinking of going but when she tried to remove her hand from Mikoto's he wouldn't let go instead his clutch tightened. He didn't want her to go and she had a funny feeling that she knew why. When she glanced over at him his small grin that he was wearing on his lips gave her that feeling as well. He was waiting for everyone to leave wasn't he?

"Well I think that I should head out now too. See you guys in the morning." Tatara waved.

"See ya then." Kusanagi waved as well. Mikoto sat there not moving and it didn't look like he intended to. Kusanagi got out of his chair and cleaned the counters off one last time for the night. He looked up. "You guys gonna hang around here for a while?"

"If you want to go home I can lock up for you." Mikoto responded.

"You know, I might just take you up on that offer. See you in the morning." Kusanagi said before exiting.

"Goodnight." Koyuki responded sweetly. She felt awkward as soon as he left. She knew what Mikoto was thinking and it was making her nervous. He still had his hand gripped in hers and Koyuki didn't think that he will be releasing it any time soon.

"Well it's been a nice evening but I gotta go too." Koyuki spoke getting up but when she tried to walk away, Mikoto's grip made her bounce back when she could not go any further. She looked over to him and his head was rested on his palm with his elbow propped up on the counter. The redhead looked at her and smirked.

"Aren't you forgetting about something?" He asked in a low seductive voice. Koyuki looked down the length of both of their arms and up to his golden eyes.

"I said maybe." She answered shortly with a rosy dusting on her cheeks. Mikoto's smile grew.

"That's close enough to a yes." Koyuki couldn't believe him and how he was forcing the subject. She didn't even know how to respond to that. There was probably no way out of this situation now. It was over the moment she placed her hand in his. Next time she'll know better. Next time she'll be more careful knowing when everybody is about to leave and leave with them. There will never be a next time for her first time. This is the only time so she may as well make the best of it. Koyuki sighed in defeat. Mikoto breathed a short amused chuckle. _This could almost classify as rape couldn't it?_ She questioned herself. When Koyuki was not answering him, Mikoto got out of his chair and scooped her up in her arms and carried her like a princess. Koyuki yelped at this sudden action and grabbed a hold around his neck.

"What are you doing?" She screeched. He laughed. Koyuki had never seen him so amused. He laughed almost as if he was having fun with her which he was. He enjoyed tormenting her like this was some sort of game to him. "Mikoto." She whined his name which turned him on even more. Koyuki blushed. "Shouldn't this be more, I don't know, romantic?" Mikoto looked at her after she said this.

"Is this your first time?" He simply asked. She answered his question by blushing while adverting his gaze.

"I just thought that it would be more like the movies and less awkward." Koyuki curled her arms into her chest.

"Well this isn't the movies. This is real life." Mikoto answered and started to take her upstairs.

"Wait!" He stopped and looked at her. She shrunk down in his arms and he waited for her to respond. Her eyes hesitantly looked away from him yet again. "Be gentle, okay?" Mikoto laughed to himself on the inside. She obviously didn't know how this works. There's a reason why they called it 'banging'. Mikoto continued towards the steps. "Stop!" Mikoto looked at her. "Don't laugh at me if I do something wrong." With that out of the way he continued. He managed to put a foot on the first step. "Wait!" Again…? "Can we start off slowly?" Mikoto nodded then continued on waywardly to his bedroom and when he got to his door frame, Koyuki yelled again. "Stop!" This was getting ridiculous. Mikoto sighed to himself. She just had to be a virgin, didn't she? Mikoto liked the thought of him being the one to take away her virginity and to be the one to make her bleed but this was getting painful. Mikoto set her down on her bed so she was sitting on the edge. Koyuki sat there for a moment almost lifelessly still not long later she covered her face. "…I'm scared." She whispered. Tears could be seen rolling past her hands and down her chin. Mikoto suddenly felt like this wasn't a good idea. Maybe tonight was not the night. If it had been a more romantic setting then maybe she would feel more comfortable and in the mood but now that it came to it she was thinking of not doing it at all with him.

He signed before sitting down with her on a chair he pulled up so that they were facing. He knew that he would have to talk to her before they could do anything. "What is it?"

"I don't know if I can do this." Koyuki started. Mikoto stared at her waiting for her to elaborate. "I'm just so scared… I don't want to turn into my mother." He felt his heart break a little for her. Again something in her past that her mother ruined for her. He desperately wanted to torment that woman for her but Koyuki was too sweet to allow him to do that.

"Why do you think that will happen?" Mikoto asked.

"I'm not as innocent as you may think. I've seen things that I shouldn't at a young age. I've experiences things that any normal child wouldn't have. I've promised myself over the years after I have managed to break free from all of that that I would never go back into that ever again and now here I am about to do what my mother has exposed to me. This is where it all starts." Koyuki cried. It felt as of Mikoto's aura were exploding inside of him. How could a mother expose her own daughter and scar her for life? He wanted to show Koyuki that sex is okay and that it is a natural thing for two people who love each other to do. How could he get her to see this? Mikoto ran his fingers through her hair then brought his hand down her cheek. Koyuki opened her tear stained eyes and looked at his soft gaze. She felt like a failure. She wanted Mikoto to know how she felt about him but she couldn't do it. He caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Koyuki, you're beautiful. You're not going to turn out the way your mother did, you're better than that. Don't let your mother have control over what you do with yourself. Let you be the one who decides what you're going to do. Show yourself that you can do it. That woman may have had control over you in the past but now she doesn't. Only you can control yourself. If you don't want to do it tonight then that's fine. I'll wait for you." Koyuki thought for a moment. If she didn't have sex with him then he would leave if she did then he would also leave or so she thought but he said that he would wait for her. She wanted to believe that but there was a part of her that told her otherwise. Mikoto stood up. "We're done here. I'll walk you home." He said turning around but he was prevented from going anywhere from Koyuki's grip.

"Don't leave. Please don't leave." She whispered with new tears falling. Mikoto didn't know what to do and he hated the feeling of being so helpless. He was the powerful all feared violent tempered Red King who knows nothing but rage and destruction, wielder of the red Aura. How could someone with so much power be helpless? Being powerful meant nothing if he couldn't do anything for the one he loved. Screw the title. He never cared for it anyways. Mikoto got on his knees and embraced her. Sometimes the only thing you can do is the most powerful thing you can do. He squeezed her tightly into him and had his hand on the back of her neck. Koyuki got his shoulder all wet from the tears she was still crying. She hated being so weak especially in front of Mikoto who she always tried to be so strong for.

After a while Mikoto lay her back on his bed and put their heads on the pillows. He closed his eyes still holding her tight and promised that he would never let her go. Eventually her crying lessened and she fell asleep in his arms.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Okay here it is, the chapter that we've all been waiting for. LEMON WARNING!

* * *

The next morning when Koyuki woke up she had expected to be in her bed at home but was pleasantly surprised to find Mikoto next to her then she remembered falling asleep in his arms last night. A blush crept up on her face as she recollected the events that lead up to it. She felt so embarrassed crying in front of him over sex but she didn't know what else to do. Koyuki turned over to face him and looked in his closed eyes. His mouth was slightly open and his soft breath could be heard inhaling and exhaling. Just looking at him she wanted to reach out and touch him but she feared that if she did that, he would wake up and she knows how much he values his sleep since sometimes he can go a few nights without it. He probably was up most of the night just holding her staying awake to make sure she was comfortable. Maybe if she played with his hair he wouldn't wake up. Koyuki was about to reach out to him but she pulled away once he turned around to face her. His eyes were still closed.

Her heart sped up for a moment and grew warm. His features seemed so much softer when he was sleeping. The usual frown that he wore was almost invisible. It's funny how when someone's sleeping it makes them appear so innocent and vulnerable. Koyuki was surprised how comfortable she was laying here with Mikoto. It felt so right to her. Her eyes traced his robust muscles and his eyes twitched open with a slight groan is if he could feel her staring.

"Mm." Koyuki looked at him taken off guard. "I could get used to this sight in the morning." He whispered. Koyuki smiled at him.

"I hope you didn't stay up all night worrying about me." Koyuki said placing a finger on his lower lip. She traced his smile.

"Someone has to." He stated. Koyuki thought for a moment.

"Is anyone else here yet?" Mikoto looked above her at the suns position out of the window.

"Nope, it's still too early. Why do you ask?" Mikoto's golden eyes met with her sapphires and she blushed before looking away scanning through the room on anything but him. He smirked as he was able to so easily read her thoughts or that her thoughts made it so obvious what she was thinking. Mikoto ran his hand up her thigh and squeezed his hand on her butt asking her without having to utter a single word. This single action was enough to make her cringe but she decided to go with it. Mikoto took note of her before lowering his head and placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder. In the silence Koyuki stayed still as she listened to the sound of his warm suctioning onto her exposed skin groaning whenever he hit her weak spot. His red hairs tickled her face.

"Mikoto." She groaned but he did not stop. He kept on kissing her shoulder and up her neck occasionally licking her skin sending chills down her spine. He moved her hair out of the way so that he could get at other parts of her he had not yet covered. "Mikoto." Koyuki called out again as his kisses became a little more rough. She shrieked at the unexpected feeling of his teeth sink into her skin. One of his hands that were not on her rear went under her top and stroked her sensitive skin along the curve of her back. Koyuki clutched onto him as her breathing got deeper with his. This felt so good. She wanted him to keep going. Nice and slow just like he was doing. The hand that he had on her rear he followed up her hourglass curve under her shirt and placed it right over top of her breast. Koyuki gasped at his sudden grip on her as her muscles tightened throughout her body. Mikoto's hand under her shirt, overtop of her bra that she had fallen asleep with, and squeezed her mound. Koyuki had to mentally talk herself down out of a panic and focused on his grip on her and eventually came to enjoy the adrenaline it gave. This was getting serious. He removed his suction from her neck and moved it up to her ear.

"Am I going too fast for you?" He whispered giving her the chills. Koyuki replied by shaking her head. He was about to resume where he left off but was cut off by her voice.

"Mikoto." She called in a questioning tone both of them still on their sides. Their eyes met. "Can I… take your shirt off before you undress me? Maybe then I won't be so nervous if I'm not the first one to undress."

"If that's what you want." He stated. Together they threw the blankets off of themselves and sat up for easy clothing removal. Shaky hands gripped themselves on the bottom of Mikoto's white shirt and slowly brought it up past his abs. As soon as Koyuki eyed his defined muscles again she felt herself getting warm in her core. "Come on this isn't the first time you've seen this." He chuckled.

"It's the first time in this setting." Koyuki replied tossing his shirt on the ground. He was right, she had seen him like this before but even now it was a whole lot for her to take in. Taking off his pants was harder for her. Sensing her unease, he gave her a minute before they continued. She breathed regaining her composure. "I'm okay." Mikoto nodded reassuring her then covered her mouth with his kissing and biting her lips softly. His hands grabbed her top and yanked it over her throwing it on the growing pile of clothes then he latched back onto her. Koyuki tried to imagine that she was just in a bathing suit in front of him. That's pretty much what undergarments were like right? Not too different. Their mouths remained connected as they let their hands explore their bare skin. Koyuki wanted to feel every provocative muscle that she had admired. Mikoto crawled his hands back down to her rear and slipped off her skirt leaving both of them in their underwear. They stayed like that for the moment sitting upright on the bed tongues dancing in each other's mouths then he pushed against her and arched over top of her hands on either side. Mikoto's hands caressed up her soft skin leaving no part of her untouched and Koyuki had her arms wrapped around his neck. Mikoto pulled his mouth away from her and looked at her.

"Are you ready?" He asked in a low soft purr. Koyuki clutched the bed sheets in one of her hands and had her other hand in between her breasts while gazing up at him with a deep blush. The sight of her there made him throb. How he wanted her so badly and he was so close. He was so beautiful to her. His muscles were so carved and defined, each detailed in the one masterpiece which was free to her doing. Koyuki could feel herself heating up as she pinched her legs together which Mikoto found amusing. As she looked up at him she couldn't help but wonder why Mikoto had chosen her. There were so many other girls out there, what was so special about her? And now here she was underneath the Red King about to give her virginity, the most precious thing that she had, over to him. No she was not ready and she may never be but what is different about now as opposed to any other day in the future? She will be scared the same.

"Okay, let's do this." Koyuki nodded giving her consent. Mikoto smiled at her before bending down to her kissing her on her chest above her bra line each kiss pulsed through her body. He worked his way over the round of her breasts and began to unclasp her bra from behind letting her breasts break free from their prison. As soon as the article of clothing was removed, Koyuki hastily covered herself up squeezing them together.

Mikoto grabbed her arms and pulled them out of the way before he latched himself onto one of her nipples. Koyuki screeched. His mouth was so hot and so wet she couldn't help but moan as his tongue tickled around her areole. "Mikoto." She groaned fighting against his arms to cover herself up again but his hands had hers pressed against the bed. There was no stopping this now. This felt so good to her but everything in her told her to cover herself. Koyuki looked down at him with one open eye and watched him nibble on her breasts giving each one of them the same amount of attention. After a while he could sense that Koyuki was getting into this and lowered his hands from hers to place them on her lone breast and began to rotate it and massage it. Koyuki locked her arms around his neck and had her hands busy in his messy red hair pressing his head into her breast.

"Mm." He moaned into her nipple satisfied with the way she was holding him to her. Mikoto opened his eyes and stared up at her as he was biting her and smiled the arousal he was giving her but he was getting impatient. He had to fight against himself to not knock her up last night even but he wanted her to be ready and enjoy this.

He trailed one of his hands down her stomach gliding his fingers along her skin until he got to her underwear then he took two fingers and began to rub them up and down her opening on the outside of the fabric. Koyuki deeply gasped and clutched onto him. The stroking was amazing and it sent electrifying sensations throughout her entire body. A few more strokes and he proceeded to remove her last piece of clothing. Koyuki instinctively pinched her legs together but Mikoto dragged them down regardless.

"Excited much?" He asked with a ghost of a chuckle. Koyuki blushed as he held up her soaked undergarments before tossing them aside. He took a moment to take in the sight of her naked damp body that lay before him. Koyuki's face only got redder at the removal of her underwear and the anticipation of him making his next move made her unconsciously grip the bed sheets in her hands. Mikoto smiled down at her everything about her right now turning him right on then he bent down to her and trailed his lips along her chest. Koyuki brought her arms back around him.

"Mikoto!" Koyuki screamed as he entered a finger inside of her wet cavity. Every muscle in her body tightened. She dug her nails in his back as he explored a new area of her while rubbing her most sensitive part with another finger while arching her back into him. This feeling was so amazing. He was so amazing in the way he moved his fingers inside of her tickled her womanhood. She didn't want him to stop.

"You're so tight." Mikoto examined as he pumped his finger inside of her a bit. "I'll be the one to change that." His voice was low and rough enough for it alone to give an orgasm. Her moans were satisfying as her hips moved with his fingers following the rhythm he was moving to even swearing a bit when it got almost too much for her. Her hips defiantly buckled towards him as the sensitivity escalated with arousal.

"Dammit Mikoto." He laughed at her response before removing his wet fingers from her. Koyuki caught a glimpse at the liquid on it and couldn't believe that that just came from her. Finally, Mikoto knew she was ready to begin. He reached down and grabbed a hold of his boxers with his fingers that were inside of her and slowly pulled them down revealing his erect member. Koyuki squirmed at the thought of that penetrating inside of her. Mikoto lowered himself at her opening and placed his tip right on her skin and looked up to her to make sure she was okay but he stopped for a moment noticing that she was shaking.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked looking at her lying there completely exposed and appeared almost helpless. Koyuki could feel him down there against her with the slight pulse that his member gave off against her skin. This was so close, she couldn't turn back now. All she could do was give a slight nod. When Mikoto pushed himself right past her slit, expanding with the shape of his head, she screamed out to him and he stopped. She had come so far and already she wanted to stop. Mikoto lowered his head down to her and placed his lips on hers to comfort her then pulled away to look into her eyes. "Hold onto me if you're scared." He whispered and Koyuki placed her arms around his neck which was enough for him to continue.

With one strong movement, Mikoto thrust himself into her penetrating through her and tearing her walls. Koyuki screamed at the top of her lungs, eyes expanded at the sudden sense of pain she was in while digging her nails into his back. Eventually the pain had passed and Mikoto pulled himself out of her after she had gotten used to his size. Blood trickled out of her opening and down part of his shaft. Mikoto placed both of his hands on her hips and thrust into her again. As he continued, his movements grew harder and faster each time moving deeper and deeper inside of her. Koyuki could not help the moans that were escaping her lips whenever he would hit a sweet spot groaning his name over and over.

Mikoto's eyes widened as he felt himself nearing his climax. He kept on thrusting into her knocking her into the pillow and almost into the headboard even sliding the bed back and forth with him. Not much longer as he continued to thrust Koyuki screamed at the sudden warmth being filled into her stomach as Mikoto released himself inside of her. When he pulled himself out of her, breaking the string that connected them, he collapsed on top of her. Their breaths both heavy they lay in silence until they had enough oxygen to speak. Koyuki couldn't believe that she actually did this. Why was she afraid of this? This felt so good. If her body wasn't so sore and tired, she would have gone again but that would give her something to look forward for next time. Mikoto moved his arms down so that he could push himself up off of her to lie on his side to face her.

"How was that for you?" He breathed. Koyuki took a few deep breaths before answering.

"Amazing."

"Are you sore?" Koyuki could only nod. Both of their bodies were covered in sweat. She clutched her abdomen as she attempted to turn over to him but could only wince in pain. "Give it a minute before you move." Koyuki couldn't help but wonder if he had done this before. He did pretty much all of the work himself like he knew what was doing but at the same time Koyuki didn't want to know if this was his first time. She was afraid of the answer. Mikoto eyed her body watching her breasts rise and fall in her deep breaths. After a moment, Koyuki sat up letting the bed sheets fall away from her but still felt pain down below.

"I better shower before Kusanagi gets here." She motioned getting out of the bed. Mikoto lay there lazily on his bed and watched her naked backside as she walked towards his door and closed it behind her while smirking to himself.

The rest of the day, Koyuki had noticed how her mood has improved since this morning. It was amazing how sex can make you feel but she still couldn't help but feel a little bit dirty since her views on it have been distorted but she figured that is something that will dissolve with time. Mikoto had a way of making her feel sensual and feminine the way he touched her and kissed her like he worshiped her. It made all of the feelings from the night before disappear.

As the day progressed she still felt sore and felt self conscious when she was up and forced to walk around awkwardly. She tried to stay seated as much as possible in the bar but that was never bound to happen. While working, Koyuki had caught Mikoto gazing at her with a different expression on his face. His eyes seemed soft and caring while they were on her almost like he was daydreaming with the odd dirty thought. She rolled her eyes as she wiped down one of the tables after a couple customers had left. When she had finished she brought the rag into the laundry room.

"Good night Kusanagi. Good night Mikoto." Koyuki sang before leaving for the night.

"Good night Koyuki." Kusanagi responded with his usual smile.

"Night." Mikoto also replied. Koyuki took one last glance at Mikoto before she turned to go out the door. Kusanagi could sense a change in their behavior towards one another. They both seemed out of it and kind of daze like they were living in a fairytale for the moment. Koyuki also seemed slower today and he could see her walking around like she was in pain. He smirked knowing exactly what went on.

"I think that you maybe over did it on Koyuki." Mikoto looked up at the bartender with his head rested on his fist. Kusanagi was not able to read this expression he was given. "You gotta remember you're much stronger than the average guy and I guess that goes in for the bedroom too."

"I guess. Maybe I was a little too rough on her." Mikoto answered in a low voice looking at the glass of beer in front of him. Kusanagi laughed.

"Well I thought you'd never do it but you surprised me. I didn't think you had it in you." Kusanagi spoke reminiscing a bit.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't think so either." Mikoto replied softly. He never really was one that would go all head over heels for a girl. He never admitted it but girls had a way of annoying him the way they swooned over him. High school ruined that for him. He used his violence as a way to make people fear him and stay away so that they don't get on his nerves, which was effective. Whenever someone was giving one of his friends a hard time, he would step in and his reputation alone was enough to scare the bully away. No one dared to mess with him but because of that feature he had built for himself, it also had its downside. He used it to keep people away but he never actually realized how alone he was. Sure he had friends and companions but he never felt like someone actually understood him or even wanted to understand him for that manor. He wanted someone to know and like him for who he really was. He had spent so much time making himself known as the feared and violent tempered Red King that he longed for that companionship that he could only get from someone else. It wasn't until Koyuki came into his life that he realized what was missing and once he had a taste of that, he wanted more. When Koyuki had left for the first time after the Hideki Minawa incident, he felt that loneliness and emptiness again and he tried to find a way to cure it nothing ever being good enough.

Then she came back.

Koyuki did not know it but she always provoked him. He wanted her so bad but was afraid she feared him because of this reputation he had built just like everyone else. He was afraid of losing control of his aura and hurting her with it. Mikoto was not a man of words and wasn't very good at expressing himself but he felt with Koyuki around, she understood him enough. Whenever something is on his mind, she could sense it and sometimes even force it out of him. The funny thing is it actually made him feel better. Talking alone… with someone who listened and loved… loved him for who he really is.

Mikoto closed his eyes and lowered his head with a smirk. Kusanagi looked over at him after he thought he could hear a chuckle. Who would have thought that he could be tamed?


	26. Chapter 26

"Well hello there, Mikoto." A seductive voice called after entering the bar. Mikoto, who was sitting at the counter, and Kusanagi both looked up to the old familiar voice.

"Mariko, what a surprise." Kusanagi greeted but Mikoto said nothing and returned to his whisky. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has. It seems like you're managing this place well. I remember when you first got the space dreaming of opening up your own bar and now here it is. You're quite lucky to be owner of a bar as luxurious as this one." Mariko said strolling over to the counter to sit right beside Mikoto. The female wore a white tight shirt with off shoulder sleeves that showed off her cleavage. The bottom rested just at her belly button. Her bottoms she wore a brown pencil skirt with a slip up one side and wore four inch high heels. She was clearly dressed for attention since everything she wore was designer. When she sat down at the bar she leaned on her elbow towards Mikoto who turned his face away from her.

"What can I get for you?"

"One of your special martini's. I'm sure you remember how I like it, Izumo." She spoke. Kusanagi was usually pretty cool around the ladies but the way she said his first name even made him uncomfortable.

"Coming right up." He sang almost nervously. "So what brings you around?"

"I just came by to see how some old friends were doing. Every now and then I think about high school days remembering all the fun we had." Mikoto wanted to laugh but he did not want to give her the pleasure of hearing a chuckle. Kusanagi rolled his eyes. "I walked by the place a few days ago and thought I should stop in to see how you're all doing. Are you guys still friends with that strange boy? Tatara was it?"

"Yes Tatara comes by quite often still picking up many different hobbies." Kusanagi answered doing pretty much all the talking.

"Gosh I remember when he first started playing guitar. He was terrible and I thought he would never quit. Thank goodness I haven't heard him in a while." Mariko said. Mikoto caught himself squeezing the glass that he was holding just tight enough for it to break. She scooted closer to the redhead and eyed the muscles that he had come to acquire over the years. "So how have you been Mikoto? Still violent tempered as ever I take?" She asked smiling seductively. Mikoto caught the smile then shifted his weight not wanting to talk to her but that last comment made him frown.

"Nothing much." Mikoto answered lighting his cigarette with a lighter instead of his aura. He didn't want to draw unnecessary attention. Knowing that he would have to give an explanation on why there was a spark whenever he would snap his fingers.

"Still smoking I see."

Koyuki walked along the sidewalk over to HOMRA bar. It had been a while since she brought some baking over for everyone so she thought that she would today. She had been working on them all day yesterday. She decided to make her specialty tea cakes for everyone but especially Mikoto. Those were his favorites. As she got closer to the bar she could see Mikoto's red hair from a mile away. Eventually she made out someone else sitting next to him, a female. Koyuki stopped right outside the door. A gasped escaped her as the box of desserts fell to the ground.

Mariko.

And she was sitting uncomfortably close to Mikoto for Koyuki's personal tastes. It had been a few months since she had last seen her. The last time being at the hospital when she was recovering from the burns that she had given her. Koyuki's handprints were embedded on her chest. _Calm down, Koyuki, don't be the jealous girlfriend._ She thought to herself as she placed a hand on the brass door handle. Koyuki froze seeing Mariko rub her hand along Mikoto's back and place it on his opposite shoulder leaning into him. Mariko had seen a flash of blue hair out of the corner of her eye, which Koyuki missed, and smiled before continuing. Koyuki's eyes widened with confusion. What's going on? Why is Mikoto letting her do that? Koyuki kept quiet and could barely make out what they were talking about.

"I had been doing a lot of thinking since coming by here last." Mariko started as she rubbed his shoulders feeling his firm muscles tracing patterns on his back. Kusanagi took the empty glasses and brought them away as an excuse to escape the room. "We were quite the item and I have always taken it for granted but now I see things differently." The way Mariko spoke and touched Mikoto made Koyuki sick to her stomach, she thought she was going to hurl right on the door. "We had something going on, something special and now…" Mikoto looked her directly in the eyes for the first time and Mariko moved closer to him. "I thought we could finish what we've started." She whispered. Koyuki's heart sank. Mariko leaned into Mikoto and pressed her lips on his sucking his lower lip passionately with her hand placed on his cheek. She came in so close, close enough to press her breasts against Mikoto's chest. Koyuki's heart shredded to pieces watching Mariko kiss the one she loved. Apparently Mikoto was kissing back. She couldn't take this. She backed away, still watching them kiss.

 _Why Mikoto? Why?_

Koyuki's eyes burst with tears and took off as fast as she could back to her apartment leaving the tea cakes behind. Mariko trailed her tongue along Mikoto's bottom lips then slipped it inside of his mouth before he turned his head and jumped out of the bar chair knocking it onto the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled wanting to combust the woman smiling at him in the bar chair.

"My, just when I thought you were beginning to enjoy it."

"I told you before that was a onetime mistake." His blood began to boil with his aura pumping through his veins. If this went on any longer he may actually kill the woman in front of him. Mikoto began to lose himself to his anger. "That night should have never had happened to begin with."

"I'm sorry to hear that." She began. "Now how can I get you to change your mind?"

"You're not. I have no interest in you now get out." Mikoto scowled. Mariko chuckled.

"Hm, if I didn't know any better I would say that Mikoto Suoh already has someone. What a lucky girl. Fine, if that's the way you'd rather have it. I'll be waiting for you when things don't work out." Mariko mocked before leaving the bar. As soon as the female was out of sight, Mikoto turned around and punched the bar. The impact left not a dent but actually destroyed a portion of the bar and the floor. He didn't care what Kusanagi would say nor do he just needed some way to vent all his anger. He went directly upstairs to his room and began to add to the collection of holes in the wall in his room.

Fire coursed through his veins as he broke through the drywall managing to smash his way through into the room that was next to his. His eyes turned red with anger summoning his aura to do the most amount of damage as he possibly could. He wanted to burn everything in his sight so much that not even ash would be left behind. He was willing to take out the entire building if it meant satisfying his rage so that he could begin to calm down. There was practically no wall left between his room and the next by the time he finished and he was even holding himself back not to take out half the city. Mikoto stood there his hands in a white knuckled fist still hot with anger but was able to restrain himself. He ran a hand through his hair and decided to cool off by going out for a very long walk. What a way to ruin a day, and entire week even. Mariko was all talk and there was never anything between them like she spoke of. The only thing that they were was young and dumb and Mikoto did not want that part of his past ever brought up again.

As he opened the door to go outside his eyes stumbled across a trampled box laying on the ground right in front of the doorway. Mikoto looked around before bending down to pick up the box then he opened it up to view the contents that were inside. His face initially dropped with sorrow seeing four of Koyuki's specialty tea cakes inside, ruined from falling to the ground. He flashed back over to rage. Mariko's timing was impeccable as always.

Koyuki had thrown herself onto her bed after locking every door behind her and bawled into the sheets. She just knew it. Mikoto had someone else and he really did just want her for sex, he was a king after all. There were probably many other girls that she didn't know about that were all drawn to him for the title of his power. Any other girl would jump at the opportunity to sleep with a king but Koyuki did not want that.

She got up and ran to the bathroom emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. _This is what I get for not looking into his past or future. It serves me right to think that I could trust him,_ she thought wiping the corner of her mouth. Koyuki's head hung as she walked back and dropped her weight onto the bed. Moments later her PDA buzzed with an incoming message and she decided to ignore it. She knew exactly who it was.

As time passed her PDA kept on ringing and ringing eventually she grew angry enough to get up and walk over to it. When she looked on the callers id to see who called she lifted the phone in her strongest arm. She was about to throw it out of her window but then looked at it once more when it stopped ringing. It was a gift from Mikoto and Kusanagi and she could never get one as high of a quality as this one. She couldn't afford to buy another one if she destroyed this one. She lowered her arm and tossed it in the closet so she couldn't hear it. Koyuki rolled back on her bed tears still falling.

 _Mikoto I thought you were different,_ she thought.

 _Turns out you were just like everyone else._


	27. Chapter 27

Days passed and Koyuki hadn't left her room. She felt so ashamed and disgusted, even food seemed repulsive to her. This normally would be the point where she breaks out an ice cream pale and shovels it in her face while bawling and flicking through the photos they had taken together. Nothing was worth doing. She hadn't even taken a shower since that day but that was about to change. Maybe if she showered she would feel better. Her clothes dropped on the floor and headed into the washroom. When she passed a full length mirror on her way she sneered at the image that was looking back.

Once the temperature of the water met her satisfaction, Koyuki stepped in starting with her hair that cascaded down her figure. Mikoto's caresses were still on her body. She could still feel him grabbing her breasts and kissing her and sucking her nipples. Why did it come to this? Why did she ever let him do this in the first place? She found herself scrubbing her body practically sanding her own skin off with her nails trying to rid herself of the sensation of his hands on her. Still feeing him against her cleft, she obsessively scrubbed harder and harder trying to feel anything other than him there. Eventually she had to stop as pain developed and even managed to draw blood with her nails. Koyuki gazed at the crimson on her hand for a moment and wished that she had never drawn any to begin with.

Mikoto also lay in his room at the bar, or what was left of it. Kusanagi was not happy with him after finding out that he demolished part of his bar. No one else could get away with yelling at the Red King the way that he did but like everything else, Mikoto just brushed him off and paid no attention to it. Luckily Kusanagi was getting someone in to rebuild it later on in the day so that he could reopen to the public again. All of the guys stared at the damage in amazement and fear. After that everyone kept their distance from their violent tempered king. Tatara tried to calm him down but Mikoto even shut him out for the first time ever.

Nobody really knew what was wrong except the bartender. He had a suspicion that this was caused by Mariko coming by the other day causing him to relive some old memories that he had buried so deep inside of him. Since then, Koyuki just texted him that she was feeling sick and that was the end of it. He knew that she was mad at him. Kusanagi was more concerned of the state of his king after preparing the bar for unexpected renovations.

Mikoto knew that he was not very good at relationships. After calling Koyuki so many times with no answer he just gave up and locked himself in his room until he was calmed down. Unlike Koyuki, he would occasionally show his face to the others when coming downstairs for a drink of something hard (usually too much) then he would either go back upstairs or go for a very long walk. The others thought that he found a place that he can physically exhaust his anger. Anna sat on the ground outside of Mikoto's door. She never wanted to leave him alone even when he asked to be so she stayed as close to him as she could without being in his way. She never spoke about it but she knew what was going on inside Mikoto's head.

"You guys, I'm worried about the king." Tatara said with his head on one of the tables and arms spread across it. "He's been in a bad mood for a long time now."

"He'll come out of it eventually. This is Mikoto we're talking about. He may have his days but he's never down for good." Yata motioned.

"Does anybody know what's bugging him this time?" Kamamoto asked.

"Not a clue." Yata responded.

"Have you even tried talking to him Tatara?" Kosuke asked not usually being the one to speak up.

"Yeah, I got shut out. This isn't like him."

"Dammit, why does it have to be in the middle of summer? Why can't it be any other time of year when it's not nice outside? We're killing sunlight being inside." Yata complained.

"You wanna go outside and do something then be my guest. If you ask me it's better now than in the winter when we're all stuck inside from the lousy weather." Chitose argued.

"He's got a point." Dewa nodded to his best friend.

"It doesn't matter. I don't like it either way." Bandou joined.

"At least now if we all play baseball no one will have the advantage of Mikoto being on their team." Shouhei said trying to look on the bright side. Everyone's faces seemed to perk up slightly.

"Hey that sounds like a pretty good idea." Chitose said.

"You guys wanna go?" Kamamoto asked. All of the guys nodded getting up and left as fast as they could. And just like that HOMRA bar was empty. Tatara decided to stay behind for a while. He wasn't very good at baseball and usually slowed the game down so he figured he would let the guys have some fun before he joined it. Kusanagi came walking in from the hallway carrying boxes on top of another into the main area.

"Hey where did everybody go?" The bartender asked confused.

"They all left to go play baseball. Hey Kusanagi, do you know what's going on with Mikoto?" Tatara asked. Kusanagi dropped the heavy boxes onto the counter on a portion that wasn't destroyed then rotated both of his shoulders and stretched his muscles out. It was always strange when they were put in a situation when Mikoto needed to be alone but this time was different. He wouldn't even let Anna or Tatara near him.

"I think it may have something to do with Mariko." He started.

"Mariko? You mean that girl you guys knew from high school?"

"That's the one. She came by here the other day and was coming on to Mikoto. After what happened years ago he's never talked about it and said he never wanted to see her again. She's the kind of girl that gets what she wants and if she doesn't she'll make life a living hell. Mikoto learned that the hard way unfortunately."

"I remember when she first came on to him. Mikoto lost it. From what I remember she is very wealthy. Isn't her father some kind of tycoon or something?"

"That's what I've heard. I've never met the man but judging by what she wore a few days ago that's a pretty safe assumption to make."

"She must have been spoiled growing up and that's why she complains whenever she doesn't get what she wants." Tatara said and Kusanagi nodded.

As the water faucet was turned off, Koyuki stood in the shower with water dripping down her body thoughts still active in her head. _How long does it take for these thoughts to go away?_ Koyuki wondered trying to clear her head as she grabbed the towel that was hanging in arms reach. It was hot everywhere so hot that it reminded her of the time when she received the red aura. She decided to let her hair air dry to help keep her cool. It won't take too long for her hair to dry since it was so hot out. Water dripped down her figure as she walked out into the kitchen too hot for clothes. It would have been the perfect day to go to the beach if she would have been up for it.

 _Maybe I should go for a walk. I haven't been out in a while,_ Koyuki thought. It pained her to think that it was halfway through summer and that means the days would be starting to get shorter. Koyuki put minimum effort in her appearance with just a simple tank top and shorts that were a stretchy sweats material and tied her wet hair up into a high bun before going out. She decided to leave her PDA behind so that she could not be bothered or tracked. If she were to be abducted then so be it. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

The fresh air seemed to do her good. Her mood was improving already. The sun had a way of doing that with her even in the darkest of times though she came to regret taking a shower. She should have waited until she got back from her walk but if she did then during the time her body odor could have left a few casualties from whoever she came across. Off in the distance some people could be heard shouting. It came from the direction of a park that everyone at HOMRA used to hang out at. Koyuki decided to walk by for memory purposes and was surprised to see the red clan there on a hot day like today.

At first sight of the guys she wanted to go up to them and join them but then she thought that Mikoto would probably be there with them too. She did miss everyone so badly and it wasn't their fault at all that she was mad at Mikoto. When she came closer to them she realized that the king wasn't there and neither was Kusanagi or Anna. Koyuki's shoulders dropped feeling relieved and decided to go over to the group and watch them play for a bit. If they ask her why she wasn't at the bar she would just say like she did to Kusanagi 'she was sick'. More like summer heat stroke.

"Hey Koyuki." Tatara waved from the bench as he was waiting for his turn to bat. She decided to join him. "Haven't seen you around for a while." He sang.

"Whose team are you on?" Koyuki asked trying to avoid that area of conversation.

"I'm with Dewa, Bandou, Kosuke and Eric. I'm always the extra man since I'm not very good at playing." Koyuki acknowledged at his honesty. Tatara didn't mind at all being the odd man out most of the time. At least the guys were nice enough to include him when he was around. "You should play too since the teams are uneven. You look like you're dressed for it." Koyuki felt his gaze on her lazy attire. It was pretty out of character for her to be dressed down like this.

"Maybe I'll have to." She smiled. "Gotta take advantage of the nice weather while I still can."

"That's the spirit." Tatara celebrated. "Hey everybody, Koyuki's on team Yata."

"Great now we got even teams. You any good Koyuki?" Kamamoto asked through the chain link fence from his position as back catcher.

"Probably not. I haven't played in years. I'm more in Tatara's league." Koyuki said scratching the back of her head.

"Okay you're on second then." Yata ordered. Koyuki picked out a glove from the duffle back that was next to the bench. The only one left was a right hand which was her throwing arm. Nevertheless she took the old glove and headed out to her assigned position. "Alright let's do this." Yata smirked eyeing down Kosuke who was up to bat. Kamamoto gestured low to the ground communicating to Yata which pitch he should do. Yata tossed the ball right down the center which Kosuke read perfectly and landed a hit sending it over past third base which Shouhei was closest to. Kosuke dashed towards first base and continued to second.

"Heads up Koyuki." Shouhei called after picking up the baseball then tossed it over to second. Koyuki lifted her glove ready for the catch then fumbled it to the ground allowing Kosuke to pass her. The guys yelled at her to throw it to third which she managed to do forcing the runner to stop on that base.

"Nice try Koyuki." Tatara called from the side as he was up to bat next.

"Alright everybody move in." Yata instructed knowing that if Tatara managed to hit the ball, it wouldn't be very far. Tatara tapped the bat on his shoes knocking off the sand on the bottom of his feet like a pro before positioning the bat for a swing. Yata threw the ball and Tatara swung with a miss. Kamamoto called the first strike then everybody readied themselves for attempt number two.

"Strike." Kamamoto called the second.

"Come on Tatara, you can do it." Bandou called to his teammate. Tatara smirked as he readied himself. Yata tossed the ball and Tatara managed a weak hit sending it on the foul side of first. Eric sprinted over and managed to catch it in mid air a few feet in front of first.

"Batter out." Tatara walked back to the bench where he had once sat still smiling despite that he struck out. Dewa marched up to bat next and managed to hit the ball over to Shouhei and started to make a run for first but Eric received the ball and tagged him before he could land. "Change!" Kamamoto announced before the teams switched sides. Chitose was pitcher and team leader Yata was up first and managed to hit himself over to third base. He attempted to take it home but he reconsidered when Chitose was close to tagging him out there so he retreated to third. Everyone nominated Koyuki to go up to bat next so she complied taking her turn. She positioned the bat behind her head eyeing Chitose and his movements. The ball propelled its way towards her and she swung a strike.

"Strike one." Dewa the back catcher called. Pitch number two the same thing happened. Koyuki frowned in frustration but prepared herself regardless. Chitose tossed the ball nicely for her trying to take it easy and Koyuki managed a hit but it landed foul. This was her last chance unless she got another foul. She closed her eyes and breathed calming herself emptying her mind of all her frustrations. After that brief moment she felt ready and confident that she would do it this time.

"You can do it Koyuki." Yata called from third. With her team cheering her on, she gripped the metal bat and held it imagining it as an extension of her body. Chitose tossed the ball nice and easy for her. This was it: The perfect pitch. The blood pumped in Koyuki's ears as she watched the ball slowly making it towards her, timing it exactly. Finally she could be of some use. As it closed in on her she smiled and swung the bat.

"Strike, batter out." Dewa called. Koyuki almost choked as she dropped her bat. She failed. She hung her head as she walked off the other side of the arena back to the bench and swore to herself.

The teams were even with people and even skill so the entire game was pretty close. Tatara and Koyuki were easily the worst players and with both of them on different teams it made the game more fair and fun if you will though Yata and Chitose were pretty competitive against one another. The others had to remind them that it was only a game but the two were similar in the fact that they did not want to lose. Despite that the game kept on moving forward and was nearly complete. They had easily gone through nine innings but kept on playing until it got around supper time.

"Okay one more round then we have to call it quits." Tatara called.

Mikoto was out for a walk nearby and noticed his comrades playing in the park. His mood had improved enough for him to approach the group and watch them. He took a seat on the bench next to Tatara who had injured himself and had to sit the rest of the game out. Team Yata was up to bat with Koyuki on first place and Eric on second. Puffs of smoke escaped his mouth from his cigarette that he had just started. The entire time he had been watching Koyuki standing on first crouching down in hopes to run to second. He was actually a little surprised that Koyuki played with the guys since she usually is very feminine with her choice of attire but she looked almost like one of the guys with the way she dressed today.

"You finally made it out." Tatara spoke. "Too bad, we're almost done the game." Mikoto said nothing and Tatara tried to find away to get him to speak.

"Team Yata wins." Dewa called out and all of the winning team came in together to celebrate. The losing team walked over to them to complain about the game and the uneven teams making any excuse they could why they lost. Well, it was more like Chitose doing the complaining but Dewa, Bandou and Kosuke told him to chill out. Eventually everybody calmed down and headed over to Tatara and Mikoto. Everyone's bodies were sweaty. They were all pleased to see their king outside and away from the bar for once. Koyuki stopped as soon as she realized that Mikoto had been watching and just stood there eyeing Mikoto with an indifferent expression on her face. Mikoto looked at her with his own look one of apology but not enough for Koyuki to pick up on it.

"Well that was a good game. I say that the loosing team treats the winning team to some cold ones back at the bar." Yata suggested throwing his arms behind his head.

"That sounds like a good idea. I can definitely use one." Kamamoto agreed and so did Eric and Shouhei. Tatara looked up to Koyuki who was standing with some distance between her and the group.

"Do you feel like joining us Koyuki?" Tatara asked. Everyone awaited a reply from her but she did not give one at first. She continued to eye Mikoto and an awkward moment later she responded.

"No thanks. I've got other things I need to do." She declined with a stern face. Everyone was confused by her answer at first. Something was off about her they all thought as they were picking up on the signals that she was sending to the redhead. "See you guys later thought." Koyuki said before turning around and walking away.

"Well that was weird." Yata thought out loud after Koyuki had put some distance between them and everyone nodded their heads.

"Hey Mikoto, is something going on between you two?" Shouhei asked. Mikoto sighed as he exhaled a cloud of smoke watching his girl walk across the field away from him.

"Women." Was all he said. Suddenly everyone seemed to understand. They were all guys and they all agreed that women were crazy.


	28. Chapter 28

How life can change so easily and when it does it's a bugger to try to figure it out. Koyuki told Yuzu about what she had caught Mikoto doing and she agreed that he was in the wrong and Koyuki had the right to ignore him like she had been doing. Even though her best friend was always around now that she had a break from school, Koyuki still felt lonely. She had spent almost all day every day with or near Mikoto since she had started at the bar and had always admired him but now that she had a reason to be mad at him, she realized just how lonely she really was. Sure she could talk to the other guys, Anna and Kusanagi but being around them would always bring up the memories that she had of Mikoto because everyone was a part of HOMRA and HOMRA was lead by the Red King Mikoto Suoh.

Koyuki was very good at pretending that someone doesn't exist and could be especially stubborn when she felt like it but it came with a price that was hurting her as well. Every time she had seen him she would pull the old 'ignoring' card but when she was alone she would tear down the wall of anger that she had built up and would break down and cry.

Mikoto seemed to have given up on her easily. He tried calling her a few times that first day but never received an answer. He knew that she had witnessed Mariko kissing him since she left a box of her tea cakes behind on the ground and he knew that she was purposefully avoiding him this whole time. The glares that had been given to him by Koyuki confirmed the obvious thought that she was mad at him. He wasn't good at making up. He just wasn't good at relationships at all. They needed a lot of work which is something he had never been interested in until he met Koyuki. The truth is he was hurt in a way. If she had seen him the way he told Mariko to get lost then maybe she would have heard him out at least. It made him regret ever hooking up with Mariko in the first place even more if that was even possible. Mikoto still would withdraw himself from everyone including Anna to be alone. He wanted to be able to make it up and work things out but he didn't know how to do it. The fact that she was ignoring him, especially when they were in the same room, irritated him to almost no end. As if he didn't already feel like burning everything down.

Everyone sat awkwardly at HOMRA bar in silence the air thick with tension making it hard to breathe for everyone. Mikoto sat at one end of the room on the couch he had claimed and Koyuki at the other side at one of the tables. They faced one another occasionally catching a glimpse of the other when no one was looking. Everyone else spread out in the bar area at various tables and couches with Kusanagi in his usual spot behind the counter. Anna chose to sit with Mikoto simply because she has known him longer but Koyuki didn't hold that against her. It was so quiet that you could almost hear everyone's breathing.

"I can't take it anymore." Yata abruptly shouted as he stood up from his seat. Everyone looked over to him. "Something happened between you two and now we're all suffering." He pointed at Mikoto and Koyuki. "I don't know what the hell is going on but it's driving all of us crazy. We all knew something like this was bound to happen but Kusanagi had to tell us to support the two of ya now look at us. You two are behaving like children now go and work it out." Everyone but Kusanagi, Tatara and Anna nodded their heads in anger. Mikoto snorted ignoring all of his so called 'friends' which Koyuki was disgusted by. How could he laugh at the idea at making up? Yata, Kosuke, Eric, Dewa, Chitose, Shouhei, Kamamoto and Bandou all got up and dragged both Mikoto and Koyuki into the back room where Kusanagi kept all of his extra stock and closed the door behind them and kept it shut. Their grip was tight on Koyuki and she tried to force herself away from everyone to avoid the confrontation but there was too many of them. She swore her revenge on all of them someday. After they were thrown inside the stock, room Mikoto stood facing the door clenching his teeth.

"Now don't come out of there until you two make up." Kamamoto shouted. All the guys could be heard cheering in the background like this was some kind of steel cage match.

"And if ya don't, I'll take my shot at Koyuki." Chitose said making cat noises from behind the door. Mikoto frowned and turned to Koyuki who was standing away from him facing the small window that radiated beams of light from the outside. She took a seat on a box of alcohol and waited. Mikoto did the same, as far away from her as possible, which was right beside the door. They spent a good ten minutes in silence. Koyuki blankly stared down at the ground and Mikoto sat with his back against the wall so he was facing her. He realized that they were gonna be in here for a while so he took out a cigarette and ignited the end with his aura. Koyuki didn't have to look at him to know what he was doing because the smell of the cigarette smoke made it obvious. The guys on the other side had their ears pressed to the door waiting for an exchange of conversation. Both of them were being stubborn.

Things were getting difficult. Time had passed and Koyuki was starting to get the urge to use the washroom. Had she known that she would have been locked up she would have refused the coolers that Kusanagi offered her. She didn't normally drink but she needed something to ease the pain a bit. She turned her head to see what Mikoto was doing and frowned with disgust when seeing him with his eyes closed and the back of his head pressed against the wall. This was getting her nowhere. Koyuki got up and walked over to the door and quietly tried to open it but it wouldn't open.

"You guys, I have to go to the bathroom." Koyuki knocked.

"Not until you two make up." Shouhei called right behind the door. Were they seriously still blocking it?

"This isn't funny." Koyuki complained. Mikoto opened a single eye and looked up to her before closing it with a victorious smirk. He knew that he was not in the position to be mad at her or making her suffer anymore but he found her stubbornness very irritating. He did not like to be ignored by her so he was throwing back what he was getting bringing out his competitive side. Eventually Koyuki gave up and took her seat back on the box facing away from the Red King. Sooner or later one of them was going to say something and by the way things were going it looks like it would have to be her. Koyuki pinched her legs together to ease the pain then she looked back to Mikoto who was smiling with his eyes closed. "What are you smiling at?" She tried to taunt but her feminine voice just wasn't that intimidating. Mikoto's eyes slowly opened still smiling with his cigarette hanging from his lips.

"You're so cute when you're mad." He cockily responded. Koyuki blushed and turned back around with her eyebrows still knitted together. "How long are you going to be like that?"

"As long as I have to be."

"Well I guess we're gonna be stuck in here for a long time." Mikoto finished.

Another long while passed in silence with the two hardly even moving. It wasn't until Koyuki heard some deep breathing that she turned around to find him nodding off against the wall. This enraged her. How could he be so insensitive at a time like this when he was the one who needed to put things back together? He looked really tired almost as bad as when he had lost all that sleep due to nightmares that he had been dreaming. Koyuki once again got up and tried to open the door. _Really?_ She thought. They must have had the door blocked because she could hear them down the hall. Mikoto's eyes struggled to open and looked up at her who was standing beside him right next to his spot by the door but then she went back to her seat. He had to admit she was stubborn but so was he.

"Why are you being like this?" Koyuki asked quietly embracing herself.

"Hm?" He opened his eyes.

"Why are you ignoring me when you're the one who screwed up?" She elaborated.

"Cause you're so fun to play with." He smirked.

"Dammit Mikoto, I'm not a toy." She yelled. "I'm not someone you can take advantage of then screw around behind my back. I have feelings, feelings that get hurt." She could say that again. "I don't know what went on in your past 'cause you never talk about it but if it comes back to you and you're still reliving it then you got a problem." Mikoto snapped.

"I got a problem? I was not the one that who started things last week. In fact, I never wanted to see that woman again. That was a part of life that I never want to relive but thanks to her showing up I now have to go through it all over again and the way you're acting is not helping." Fear and heat pooled through her body as it was pressed against the wall with his forearm holding her up by the throat. "I told her to get lost and stay away from me and the bar last week after she came at me. You don't know what went on back then and you sure as hell don't know how much I have come to regret it to this very day so don't you blame everything on me, princess." He shouted. Koyuki stared into his eyes now red with his aura. There was either pure anger or pure hurt in them. She was petrified for her life so much so that her eyes began to water. Never before had she seen him this angry this close to her right in her face. It was so overwhelming. She could feel his aura burning inside of him like a wild fire the way he had his one hand beside her and his forearm across her neck pinning her against the wall however both her feet were fully on the ground. In his rage he gave off an intense heat that would best be described as the fires of hell.

She felt so small and helpless.

Mikoto noticed the fear in her eyes that he had caused and pulled away not able to make eye contact with her. He took a moment to run a hand through his hair then he made his way over to the door and exploded his way through taking out all of the barricades. His anger beginning to boil over, he knew he had to leave the place. When he walked through to the front of the bar to leave everyone stood up.

"Hey how did it go?" A few of them asked but Mikoto just passed all of them ignoring them with his eyes still red on his heated scowl. His fiery aura flapped behind him as he walked. They had never seen him this angry before. Once he exited through the front door everyone looked at one another and instantly knew that things got worse. Shouhei was the first one to rush over to Koyuki and soon everyone else followed.

"What happened?" Kosuke asked. Everyone watched Koyuki utterly shaken on the ground with her hands on the back of her neck. Her limbs were still attached but by the way she was sobbing there gave everyone the image that she was broken to pieces. Nobody had expected this. They thought that if they spoke then things would get better but it always gets dirtier before you finish cleaning.

"Gentlemen, I think we only fanned the flame." Kusanagi spoke. Anna stood there at the front of the crowd watching the broken girl on the floor until Tatara pushed his way through the crowd. He walked over to her and bent down to her on the ground and did the only thing that he could at the time, he embraced her. Koyuki felt so embarrassed with everyone standing there and watching her but she wasn't capable of doing anything else then bawl. Everyone else scattered not knowing what to do or how to help the situation and went back to the front of the bar leaving Anna and Kusanagi standing in the doorway. There was a large burn mark on the wall overtop of where she was laying, right where Mikoto had Koyuki pinned.

"There, there, it'll all work out." Tatara said in a dulled happy-go-lucky manor. Kusanagi jumped in to help Koyuki sit up.

Invisible flames from his aura followed him as he walked through the back ways of the streets so he can avoid people at all costs. Mikoto walked until he was by himself surrounded by buildings in the industrial part of the city and there he let loose all of his rage in the dark of the night. He couldn't shake the image of her face out of his head. Koyuki looked so afraid and to think he caused it. It will be forever etched into his brain. His Sword of Damocles appeared overhead as he released his aura burning everything around him, overthrowing construction vehicles and demolishing buildings. Releasing his rage, he only found himself getting angrier and angrier as he constantly swore in his head. As long as she was in his head he would never forgive himself. Just like that his nightmares were coming true, gradually losing control of his aura taking out everything in his path.

After alleviate some of his anger, Mikoto stopped and looked around at all of the damage he had caused. He had easily taken out an entire block of industrial buildings and thought little of it. His chest felt heavy as he huffed from exhaustion with beads of sweat forming on his face. When he stood upright he looked up at his Sword of Damocles. It seems that new cracks have started to form gradually making its way to the center where the jewel rested. If the cracks made it all the way to the jewel then it was all over. The sword would fall from the sky and that would be the end of everything for him.

"Your powers are growing unstable, Suoh." A voice called. Mikoto turned around finding a man with swept dark blue hair and frameless glasses walk towards him. He was dressed in the full uniform of Scepter 4 including the saber at his left side.

"What do you want?"

"Now is that any way to greet an old friend?" The Blue King asked. Mikoto said nothing and returned to sulking. "While sitting in my office I couldn't help but notice your Sword of Damocles whenever you take action. Lately each time you summon it you seem to leave around a trail of destruction that I have to clean up. I'm sure the Gold King also doesn't appreciate you taking out his form of business."

"Do you have something to say or are you here to scold me for my actions?" Mikoto objected. Munakata was intrigued how after time Mikoto still had not changed. Even as the years have passed and the two both have become kings, they still hold on to a piece of themselves from the past.

"All I'm saying is that you're beginning to become unstable. You're using too much of your power. If you don't want it to consume you, try staying under the radar for a while and don't let things bother you so much." Mikoto frowned. What did he know about the situation he was in? If he had known that this was not a matter of his clan taking on others but a result of his personal failures then he would not be suggesting to 'stop letting it bother him'.

"Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep that in mind." The Red King answered sarcastically.

"Come now I know that you don't truly mean that." The Blue King started. "Don't try to appease me. I realize that you have only recently become unstable so I understand that this can be easily reversed but as the Blue King and leader of Scepter 4 I have to remind you of your kingly duties. We wouldn't want another Kagutsu incident on our hands now would we?" Munakata suggested. Mikoto cringed at that thought. At this rate with his nightmares and Koyuki refusing to speak to him it is more than a possibility that it will happen. He didn't want to just give up and leave Koyuki behind. He wanted to make things up to her and make her happy again but how could she if she refused to talk to him. After the way that he yelled at her earlier there was no way he could ever look in her eyes again without remembering how much he had hurt her. As long as her eyes reflected him there wasn't going to be any forgiveness.

"Somehow I think this isn't going to be reversible." Mikoto said in his low voice. As Munakata stared at him he could sense that there was a deeper meaning behind his words. Even for him, Mikoto can be hard to read sometimes but that was one of the things that Munakata liked. He liked to piece together the puzzle of one's reasons or actions. It gave him a sense of satisfaction when he can see the overall picture.

"Don't let one little mistake draw you away from what you hold dear. No matter how much you think that something is irreparable, it can be rather easy to put the pieces back together once you know how it broke." Munakata insisted talking to him as a friend rather than a king. "I must be on my way. You take care now, Suoh." Munakata said before departing. Mikoto watched the Blue King leave the scene then looked to the ground then looked up to his Sword of Damocles floating above him.


	29. Chapter 29

It had been more than two weeks since Koyuki had caught Mariko with Mikoto. Ever since her last encounter with Mikoto she had stayed far away from the bar. That day, Tatara and Kusanagi were there for her when she was crying too much to even leave the room. Tatara even walked her home that night when no one was around. The fact that Mikoto was kissing Mariko didn't matter to her anymore. She was more torn on the way Mikoto yelled at her practically spitting in her face. She was even pinned against the wall nearly restricted of her air supply. That moment, he behaved more of the violent temper she knew him to be. Every time she thought about it she just wanted to bury her head in her hands and cry but she reached the point that tears could no longer fall. Koyuki cursed herself and her stubbornness. If she hadn't been so hard headed then it wouldn't have come to this.

Koyuki sat on a park bench watching Anna look into a nearby pond. Koyuki hadn't been back to the bar but promised that she would take Anna out for the day for a little girl time. Even though Anna was still a kid she knew full well what was going on between the two. She was so young but she had wisdom beyond her years and could understand things while others couldn't wrap their heads around. It wasn't like Mikoto to not allow Anna around him but he was in such a dark place now that he didn't want anyone to see or pity him. She knew that Mikoto hated to be pitied. Though some of the guys back at HOMRA didn't understand what was going on or what had happened between Koyuki and Mikoto, they all had theories and it was in human nature to choose sides. Anna was truly one of the only ones that didn't choose a side. She stayed quiet and only spoke when she felt needed to and listened to both sides without judgment.

The pale girl put her fingers in the pond letting the koi nibble at the tips. Earlier, she and Koyuki were out shopping and she was now wearing a headband with lace and feathers that Koyuki had bought for her. Even though Koyuki hadn't been to the bar, Kusanagi still said that he would take care of her rent and if she were to change her mind about working there, then he would support her until she had another job. She didn't want it to come to that. She felt that Mikoto had scarred her in a way but she really had grown to miss him.

"You miss him." Anna informed rather than asked. Koyuki had been so lost in thought that she hadn't realized her being watched.

"Yeah." Koyuki nodded.

"He misses you too." Koyuki didn't respond. It annoyed her that Anna was telling her this rather than Mikoto himself. "He's afraid of losing you."

"It sure seems like it." Koyuki answered sarcastically. "His Sword of Damocles, it's still deteriorating, isn't it?" Anna nodded. Instantly her body flushed with heat. It was just as she feared and she knew what would happen if Mikoto loses all control. This was all her fault. If she hadn't been so jealous in the first place and overreacted then Mikoto wouldn't have yelled at her like that. If she hadn't been so stubborn and just talked to him to begin with and let him explain himself then they could have resolved the issue by now and he wouldn't be letting his anger consume him. Koyuki's hands found their way to her cheeks. No matter how mad she was at him she couldn't deal with the fact that he was crumbling because of her. Koyuki didn't want him to die. She had to do everything she could to fix things between them even if she was the one to break the silence first. She would do it for him.

"Mikoto is stubborn as well. He wants to fix things but he's afraid he won't be able to do it." As long as they both were willing, anything is possible. If they both wanted to fix things then together they can work it out.

"Do you know where he is?" Anna shook her head.

"He doesn't want to be found." She answered. Koyuki's face fell. So now he was taking his turn at running away. Koyuki had gotten him to open up so much and now he was completely shutting everything else out. She looked to Anna and without saying anything she begged to her. "I can try."

Alone once again, Mikoto had not been back to the bar since he came face to face with Koyuki and scared the living shit out of her. He isolated himself away from everybody and made it so that nobody could find him. He did not want to be found. He was not worth being found. Mikoto tried to keep his aura to a minimum but every time the image of Koyuki came into his head, it began to flare. Even the little sleep he had gotten, he woke up finding things burnt around him. Truth is he hadn't really slept. Mostly a nap here or there, but only a few short hours in the night. Ever since Koyuki first found Mariko with him, his sleep has become almost inexistent.

Mikoto turned around finding himself in that industrial area that he had recently burned to the ground, but all the buildings were standing again. Everywhere he looked he was surrounded by buildings that now started to combust with a quick flame blazing to the ground once again. Sweat poured down his face as he was hunched over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. Fireballs began to rain down from the heavens demolishing the buildings into nothing and left a wall of fire 50 meters high that surrounded him with no escape. The scorching heat made it feel as if his skin was melting off of his bones.

When he looked down at himself his skin was turning black of charcoal. Was this real? Mikoto could even feel the pain that it caused as he wanted to scream with all of his capacity. He couldn't. It would show sign of weakness. He was the strongest. He needed to be the strongest, for HOMRA's sake, for her sake.

Mikoto noticed a chunk of stone fall down beside him then he looked up at his Sword of Damocles. Pieces began to break off and orbited the floating blade before tumbling down near him. His red eyes widened as bigger pieces began to fall. How was this? He was going downhill so fast, he could not stop it. The cracks spread slowly making its way to the center where the jewel was being held. When the sword broke all the way to the center, the light that radiated inside the jewel went out bringing his Sword of Damocles crashing down. All he could do was watch then he embraced for the impact.

Eyes shot open and he abruptly sat up covered in sweat. His breath was as if he had run a marathon and only began to calm down when he realized where he was, alone, not at the bar and not at home. He was sitting under a tree in the same park he had brought Koyuki to on their first date. When Mikoto looked around he noticed the grass around him was beginning to be charred. Placing a hand on his eyes, he leaned against the other and tried to catch his breath.

He knew that he was going past his limits. His anxiety, his anger and his fear all played their part making him summon much more power than necessary from the Dresden slate. He had even gotten into pointless fights with thugs just so that he could use them to vent his anger leaving no one alive, allowing no one to even get their hands on him. He wanted bloodshed. That's what he would always do to calm down in the past before she was the one to calm him. But she was not here now so he had to resort to his old ways of coping. Mikoto had been making so much progress with his anger and controlling his violence since his younger days but ever since he failed Koyuki, he has slowly been spiraling backwards.

Sleep seemed to have become a thing of the past for him. Instead he used that time to reflect on everything he did wrong and everything he was losing which only got him more worked up. Maybe that's why he snapped at her so easily. Lack of sleep could push even the calmest and most chill person over the edge but it had to be him because for him it was so easy.

"Have you guys seen Mikoto around recently?" Koyuki asked as soon as she and Anna returned to the bar.

"Not since _that_ day." Kusanagi answered surprisingly sitting down at one of the couches rather than his usual spot behind the bar. Koyuki's face dropped. Anna walked in and sat beside the bartender. "This is the longest he's ever been gone. I'm worried about him."

"So am I." She replied. "Anna said his Sword of Damocles is decaying."

"His Weismann level must be dangerously high." Kusanagi examined placing a hand under his chin. "Can you find him Anna?" Anna shook her head. "Damn." Not too much later, Dewa and Chitose came walking through the door in a discussion about the state of their clan then they both stopped after noticing the troubled look on Koyuki and Kusanagi's faces.

"Hey, what's going on? Has the situation changed?" Dewa asked.

"I'm afraid not." Kusanagi shook his head. Kusanagi knew better than to tell the clansmen about the state of Mikoto's Sword of Damocles. He didn't want to cause the others anymore unnecessary worry. Everyone was already in enough of a frenzy and adding that minor detail could only set them off more. "Have you guys found anything at all?"

"Nothing whatsoever. For a guy with so much destructive abilities you'd think he'd leave a bigger trail around." Chitose replied.

"That's not true. Kosuke and Eric said that they had found a section of the city in an industrialized area that had buildings completely demolished. The place had been completely burnt to the ground without a trace. That's more than likely to be Mikoto's doing. When they got there, he was nowhere to be found." Koyuki's eyes began to water and felt she needed to have a seat. Everything was to be blamed on her. She was the reason that he was gone. She hated the fact that he made everyone else unaware of where he was. Not letting her know is one thing, but when all of your closest friends are wondering where you are, then that's just wrong. Kusanagi placed a hand on Koyuki's back.

"Don't worry. This isn't the first time that Mikoto has gone off on his own. He'll come around, you'll see." He consoled.

"Hey Koyuki, I'll take you out if it'll make you feel better… just the two of us." Chitose played bending down to try to catch her gaze in his. Kusanagi flicked the players' forehead sending him backwards onto the floor. "Ow."

"I don't think that Mikoto would like it if he heard that." Kusanagi warned.

"Well the guy's not treating his woman right." Chitose frowned from the floor.

"What do you know about treating a woman right?" Dewa mocked.

"Shut up!" Normally Koyuki would have laughed at the situation, but her heart was aching too much. Everything right now seemed so much darker. Laughter would make her feel guilty. She already felt enough guilt right now. Koyuki clutched her stomach. She wanted him there next to her. She wanted to feel his breath on her skin that would cause her to break out in goose bumps. Did he not want that? Anna watched Koyuki's unease and proceeded to another chair at one of the tables taking out her marbles on her hand and placing them on a map that was on the surface.

"You gonna try to find him Anna?" Dewa asked looking over her shoulder. She nodded.

"This won't be easy. It may take a while." She said in her soft voice.

"Well, we'll leave you to it. Let me know if I can get you anything." Kusanagi offered.

Anna worked hard for hours eventually leading to nightfall without a single moments rest. Koyuki could tell when looking at her that she was getting weary. She stopped for nothing, not even for a drink or a bite to eat which made Koyuki worried. Night time was usually easier for Anna to locate someone who did not want to be located since at night is when they are most likely to drop their guard. When they are sleeping their guard is at their lowest but in Mikoto's case, he hasn't gotten any sleep and was too stubborn to allow Anna to find him. He knew when she would be looking for him and he knew her range. Anna too missed him and she knew that it would be best for him to come back and make up with Koyuki rather than running away. Running away could only lead to his destruction.

"I think I'm gonna head home now." Koyuki said glumly after no success of finding him. "Thank you so much, Anna, for trying."

"Good night, Koyuki." Kusanagi called out and so did the others.

"Good night." She replied then carried on her way.

The nights were getting noticeably cooler after the sun had gone down. It made it feel as if summer was getting closer to ending. Despite being named 'Koyuki', she didn't like the cold. Now that Mikoto's warmth was not around, she was reminded of how much she liked summer. The days were longer, the sun was out and it was always warm like she was being embraced. Now she felt that that embrace had left and she was all alone. She wondered when she would be able to see Mikoto again. Koyuki looked up at the crescent shaped moon. He was somewhere out there under the same sky.

Koyuki turned around for a moment to look behind her and thought that there were some footsteps behind her. It wouldn't be him would it? She called out his name and looked around. Nothing. Of course not. No use in getting her hopes up so she carried on.

There it was again. But still no one.

Nervously she continued. She wondered if she should go back to the bar and have one of the guys walk her home. No. She was just imagining things in her loneliness. If Mikoto was there at the bar with everyone else, he would have walked her home at this hour with it being dark out. There she goes again thinking about how she wished someone was there with her. Koyuki turned around.

"Stop it!" She yelled at the nobody behind her. "This isn't funny guys." She said thinking that the boys were probably playing a prank on her to think about something else. When she turned back around to continue, a pair of arms locked around her body preventing her from moving. Koyuki fought slightly to get away. That was it. This was no time for fun and games. She was going to give the clan member who was responsible for this a piece of her mind. "Seriously?" She shouted lessening her struggle.

Koyuki got a whiff of something. It smelled foul like decomposing bodies and it burned her nostrils as the sources mouth was right next to her. She turned her head to the head that was resting on her shoulder, a person wearing a fox mask with shoulder length wavy dark hair.

"Where is he?" A rough voice breathed. Koyuki held her breath but could smell the odor as if it were seeping into her pores. She struggled to break free not even processing his request. Arms tightened around her, the harder she fought the harder it was to break free.

"Let go of me." She yelled having to resort to a woman's only defense. Koyuki brought her foot forward then launched it behind her hitting her stalker squarely in the package. The man cried out in pain loosening his grip on her enough to break free, then, she booked it for her apartment. He made a quick recovery, a lot faster than a normal guy, and chased her down the dark streets. Knowing that looking behind her to check how far he was from her, Koyuki did her best to try to shake him off by running down alleyways that she knew were connected so that she wouldn't run into a dead end. She tossed down things behind her to try to slow him down but the person was very agile and was able to hurdle himself almost everything she threw at him. It wasn't until she came around a corner behind all the stores that she had seen an open door and he was far enough behind that he hadn't seen that yet.

Koyuki flung herself behind the door and closed it managing to do it before her stalker could see. Thank goodness this was the kind of door that locks on the outside as soon as you close it. Koyuki rest her back against the cold metal door then slid down on the ground to catch her breath. Was that someone that Mikoto knew? When he asked 'where is he' she automatically assumed Mikoto. Maybe this is someone he had recently pissed off and got into a fight with while he was away from HOMRA. That wouldn't be completely unlike him. They probably had seen her with Mikoto in past and knew to go after her if they wanted to find the Red King.

After moments passed, her breathing was almost back to normal. It would have been normal if she wasn't scared for her life. She gave it a few minutes before checking outside. Luckily her apartment complex could be seen from where she was. When the coast was clear, Koyuki opened the door and cautiously made her way to safety.


	30. Chapter 30

Days had passed and everyone hung around the bar not really knowing what to do. Yata took up the entire couch as he lay there swinging his foot up and down while being propped up against his other knee. Kamamoto was resting against a chair, fanning himself with a folding fan. Kusanagi just stood blankly behind the bar with absolutely nothing to do. Koyuki sat at a table behind Anna with her head rested on her arms that were folded across the table's surface. The other guys were in similar positions in the same room. Koyuki imagined that this is what HOMRA would be like if Mikoto was gone for good. A clan lost without their king.

Anna had not given up searching. Even as everyone sat around, Anna continued. She would never give up hope as long as she knew he was still out there. There have been signs of Mikoto being around but when they went to investigate, he was nowhere to be found. Every time, Koyuki was given a new scar of the false hope of him being there for her… waiting. It slowly was eating away at her, devouring her very soul.

"Found him." Anna's eyes flashed open. Everyone sat up and Kusanagi walked over to her and peeked at the portion of the map that her marbles sat at. Koyuki followed.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go get him." Yata said jumping off of the couch.

"Hold it." Kusanagi called stopping the skater in his tracks. "Let's evaluate the situation before we run in and pile all over him. Anna?"

"It's very faint but I can see his red." The girl said focusing on her red marbles. "He's trying to sleep but he keeps on waking up." Koyuki's heart broke. So he was having nightmares still. She wondered the state of his Sword of Damocles since she knew that this event would have caused it to deteriorate more, hopefully not to the point of it crashing. If she were to find him like that, then she would never be able to forgive herself. As long as Anna was able to sense him, then she knew that he was alive. All of the guys looked anxious and were ready to storm out the door after him but Kusanagi halted them.

"I don't think he would appreciate it if we all came after him at once. With his lack of sleep, he's more likely to be irritable. Only one person should go after him and bring him back." Kusanagi eyed Koyuki, which she could not see, and she abruptly stood up.

"I'm going." She demanded and everyone understood thinking that it would be the best idea but then Tatara spoke up.

"Are you sure that you should go? I mean, last time he hurt you pretty bad and Kusanagi says he may be more irritable this time round since he's gotten little to no sleep." Tatara had a point but she had already made up her mind. If it wasn't for her then they wouldn't be in this situation so it was up to her to fix things between them.

"I'm going." Koyuki said sternly before walking out the door leaving all of the guys a little dumbstruck at her firmness.

Koyuki wasted no time as she ran across the city to where the redhead was. She acknowledged that she was scared. Scared of him yelling at her, scared of him being hurt, scared of him refusing to come with her, but she was mostly scared of him not being there. After so many leads that only resulted in dead ends, that was clearly the thing she feared most.

In a way it touched her heart to find him in the same park where they spent their first date watching the sunset, but at the same time it saddened her to think that he spent all this time thinking about her and not coming to her. Mikoto stood off in the distance along a walkway that was at the water's edge, leaning against a concrete wall. Koyuki could see his aura flaring off of him and she could even feel the heat from where she was standing. It was frightening. The darkness of the night made him seem more lonely and secluded. He threw the butt of his cigarette in the water. Suddenly she felt sick to her stomach and held a hand up to her mouth. Was this nervousness she was feeling or was this the result of his aura being so powerful? Maybe she was getting sick. After the feeling had passed, she continued on her way up to the red king.

Koyuki couldn't believe that he was standing right there. It seemed like it had been forever since she was with him, and every moment ached in her heart every time it beat. She felt like her knees would give way and she would break down before she even had a chance to talk to him. The time they spent apart only deepened her love for him. Yes, through this time she admitted to herself that she loved him even though he was not perfect, even though he broke her heart but you always hurt the ones you love, right? Koyuki wanted to tell him but wanted it to be the right moment but didn't know if it was appropriate at this time. She knew that she didn't deserve him at all and felt she could never measure up to the type of person that he should have, especially after ignoring him and blaming him for what Mariko started but she didn't care. She wanted him. She wanted him bad enough that she would better herself to become someone that he does deserve.

"Mikoto." Koyuki almost whispered when she was close enough to him to hold a conversation. He looked at her, and for a split second, she thought she could see relief in his eyes but was soon replaced with remorse, then he looked away as his eyes radiated a very faint red. Mikoto looked terrible. No wonder Anna could find him since he was too tired to keep his guard up from being found. It looked as if he could collapse at any moment. "Mikoto." She called out again, this time more worried. Again he looked at her. She slowly made her way closer to him and stood there hesitantly feeling his aura begin to burn at her.

"Don't come any closer. You'll get hurt." He warned turning his head slightly. She stopped for a moment as the heat was so intense. She could hear the flames of his fire flaring in her ears. If she went any closer then she may get burned to death. No, she needed to be strong for him. Mikoto looked up to her, surprised that she was still continuing her way over to him fighting against his aura.

"Mikoto." Koyuki called out a third time. Their eyes locked and stared for a long time. Mikoto felt like she was peering into his soul in a loving, tender way. His aura naturally retracted a little. "I'm sorry." His eyes grew shocked and confused.

"For what?"

"For everything." Koyuki started. "This is all my fault."

"No." Mikoto interrupted, and Koyuki waited his response. "You did nothing. I am the one to blame." She stayed silent processing what he had just said but couldn't make sense of it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Koyuki knew that he wanted to say more but he couldn't find the right words since he normally didn't talk about his feelings.

"I shouldn't have ignored you like I did. If I wasn't so insecure about Mariko, then maybe it wouldn't have turned out like this. You're so strong and supportive and amazing, I don't understand why you want to be with someone like me. It scares me to think that someone else is better suited for you than I am because I'm no good. I feel so lonely without you." Koyuki spilled her heart out but he didn't say anything at first, which made her worry, but then he smirked a little bit. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Koyuki. I…" He thought for a moment the red vanishing from his eyes briefly. Suddenly her palms felt all clammy. The way that he said her name it was like he was about to say something very heartfelt. Mikoto knew that he owed her an explanation, and he was going to give it to her. As he prepared, his eyes glowed red from his aura. "Her and I knew each other in high school. She had always followed me around and I hated it. One night at a party, I was frustrated so I had been drinking a lot. One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together." Koyuki's eyes widened. It felt like her heart was about to give out. She knew that they had a history together. "To this very day I regret making that decision. I'd be happy never seeing her again." Koyuki felt her eyes water, which Mikoto noticed, but blinked away the tears. She was not going to show jealousy in front of him to make him feel guiltier. He doesn't need that in the state that he's in. Koyuki shook her head.

"Your past doesn't matter. It's who you are now that I love so much. You've come so far with your violent temper and I'm really proud of you for that. You're not perfect. I'm not perfect, but I still love you for who you are. I don't want to be without you any longer. I can't take it, the pain that comes from being away from you. So please come home, back to HOMRA."

It felt as if all of the weight of his concerns had instantly vanished. His eyebrows lifted as the red from his eyes completely vanished and changed back to his beautiful golden amber with his aura dissipating almost completely. Mikoto couldn't believe that Koyuki still wanted him, even after exploding at her practically spitting in her face. It felt so good to him to have somebody who wants him for who he is, flaws and everything. He could never imagine someone like that in past. He figured that he would be alone forever; letting his beast within get worse with age, but now he felt that he didn't have to worry about that. If Koyuki wanted to be with him when he was at his worst, then there was nothing that she wouldn't leave him for. A person like her was everything that he wanted. It was almost too good to be true. He didn't want to lose her. If he lost her then he may never get anything like her ever again. Someone so perfect doesn't come around every day. Why did she want him? What made him so special? There were many other guys out there that she could do much better with, but instead, she chose to stick around with a ticking time bomb like him. Some things made no sense, but he was grateful and he promised to himself that he would never take advantage of her again. He would never just assume that she would come running back to him, instead, he wanted to be the one to run back to her.

Mikoto walked right up to her and their eyes melded together with his eyes gazing at her softer than they ever have. He placed his hands on her upper arms.

"Koyuki… I…" He paused to look away for a brief moment, but Koyuki continued to stare at him. "I love you." He whispered.

Her insides felt as if fireworks were going off in her. Her legs grew weak at the knees and gave out. If it wasn't for Mikoto bringing her into an embrace, she would have fallen to the ground. Mikoto tilted his head towards her and brushed his lips on hers then pulled away slightly which Koyuki responded by following him up so that she could press her lips on his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his wrapped around her waist closing any space they had between them. They stayed like that for a few minutes, passionately moving their lips against one another even kissing down their necks. It wasn't until they needed air that they broke apart, but soon went back at it. After a few more moments they broke apart again and returned their gazes.

"I love you too, Mikoto." They both smiled. Mikoto brought Koyuki back into his embrace and held her against him so that he could rest his chin on her head. Reunification after a fight was always the most satisfying feeling, but he knew that their time apart had taken a toll on him. Last he checked, his Sword of Damocles it wasn't looking very good for him. He wanted to make whatever time he had with Koyuki the best while he still could.

"Hmph. I wonder how Koyuki is making out with Mikoto." Tatara questioned while fiddling with his video camera. Chitose, Bandou and even Eric snorted before they burst out laughing. "Hey what's going on? Why are you guys laughing?"

"Hah, making out, that's a good one." Bandou whaled. Eric slapped his knee repeatedly.

"Hopefully Mikoto didn't come at her." Chitose joined. As the three boys faces fell red as they laughed and hooted, some of the others just shook their heads and face palmed themselves, whereas Yata was the only one who wanted to plug their ears.

"I wonder if Mikoto has even knocked Koyuki up." Kamamoto questioned, but he received a fist on the top of his head as a reply.

"Don't you even dare question that about Mikoto you asshole. He's not some kind of player that he would do that to her. The guy's got class." Yata blushed still thinking of Mikoto as 'not being interested' or 'too troublesome'.

"Come on, do you really think that of Mikoto? I mean he and Koyuki have been going on for a few months now. If you'd ask me I'd say he's at least banged her a couple dozen times." Chitose analyzed. Yata's face grew redder nearly the same colour as his aura.

"Yeah only you would think that." Yata growled.

"Mikoto!" Everyone gasped as Koyuki helped him through the door. The king looked up and around at all his friends then stared at Yata whose face was still red.

"Welcome home, king Mikoto." Kusanagi greeted. The redhead grunted a smile. Relief washed over everyone's faces. The clan finally had their king back.

"I'll go get your shower ready." Koyuki said letting go of him to go upstairs.

Finally with Mikoto back, Koyuki thought that they could all come together again, like they had once done. She went to the closet down the hall, and grabbed a towel and hung it up on the holder next to the shower in the washroom. Mikoto probably missed having a hot shower, so she thought that would be the best thing before he went to bed. She decided that she would sleep next to him in hopes to calm him down so that he won't be disturbed by his nightmares. That was one thing she wished she could control, but even that was impossible for her to do. Koyuki jumped as she heard a shout come from downstairs. It sounded like it was Chitose.

"That's what you get for coming onto Koyuki." Mikoto growled with his right hand still in a fist. Chitose was on the ground covering his bloody nose. She shook her head thinking that the guys were probably goofing around downstairs with Mikoto since he had just returned after a long time away from his clan, but the shout sounded like it was painful. They probably doggy piled on their king and Chitose got caught underneath everyone. Koyuki turned the water on and held her fingers under the tap until it was warm enough, then turned on the shower.

"You forgot about your towel." Mikoto said leaning against the doorway. When Koyuki turned to him he was wearing a dirty grin. She smirked knowing what he was thinking.

"Yes m'lord." She replied with a British accent trying to sound as sophisticated as possible.

"Enough with the formalities." He slightly chuckled rolling his eyes. Mikoto brought in another towel and placed it right on top of his then locked the door behind him. Though Koyuki knew what was about to happen, she still felt nervous about being totally exposed to him again. Maybe after this time, she will feel more comfortable. Mikoto wasted no time taking off his clothes, then he stood behind her totally naked. When she caught a glimpse at him, she flinched, and turned back to the water which made him chuckle. "Don't tell me you're still uneasy about this."

"It's just that… you're so fine." Koyuki replied before standing up and slowly undressing herself. Mikoto stepped in and helped her take off the remainder of her clothes until she too was standing naked in front of him. Lastly, he reached up to her hair and pulled it out of her braided ponytail, letting her tresses tumble down past her breasts. Mikoto couldn't hide himself from hardening. He took her hand and led her into the shower where they continued where they left off.

As soon as water hit them, both of their hair fell flat. Koyuki reached up to him to brush the hair away from his face so that she could gaze into his eyes. Mikoto seemed more lustful this time around, giving off a naughty grin as he bent over to brush his lips on her, then he grabbed her breast and began to massage it. Koyuki moaned into the kiss. The feeling of him touching her again was something that she missed, the feeling of his hands worshiping her body with lust and passion. Koyuki decided that she was going to pleasure him this time. She ran one of her fingers down his shaft causing Mikoto to break away from the kiss, giving a half-lidded moan. Koyuki smirked at him before kissing him up his chest and grabbed his member. He almost fell on top of her, but he put his arm against the shower wall to prevent that. The grip that she had on his member was enough to wake him up, even in the state that he's in.

"Koyuki." Mikoto groaned as she rubbed his now throbbing manhood. She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Don't stop." He breathed as his lungs began to work harder. Naturally, his length lifted up between them and Koyuki worked with it, continuing to rub his hardening member. The groans that came from his mouth as pleasure surged throughout his body satisfied her. As her hand continued to move up and down his shaft, Koyuki used her other hand to caress his sack. She could tell that he was too tired to fight back, but she liked having the chance to be in control this time. "Shit." Mikoto swore not able to hold himself back.

Koyuki got down on her knees, and began kissing just below his belly button. She trailed down and began kissing his sack then along his shaft. She placed a gentle kiss on the head of his member then licked it once. Again he swore. Gripping the base of his member, Koyuki put her mouth around his head and then pulled it back out.

"Koyuki." Mikoto called her name a little louder. He wanted inside of her now, but she refused and continued to torment him as she deep throated him, moving her head, bringing him farther into her. As she continued to thrust herself, he called out to her again. He threw his head back. "Koyuki I'm going to…" Koyuki gasped as he emptied himself into her mouth. After a moment she regained herself.

"I love you Mikoto." She smiled as she looked up to him.

"Koyuki I… I need you." Mikoto breathed. Koyuki stood up and positioned herself so that he penetrated inside of her core then moved herself with him. Though Koyuki was doing most of the work, they both had a hard time breathing as they neared their climax. She skillfully moved herself along him, pumping herself in an out, until the remainder of him released inside of her, and then she pulled herself out of him. Mikoto caught her before she fell over, holding her, as he leaned against the wall with the water still pounding on him. He had both of his arms on either side of her as her with his back protecting her from the water, and her back rested against the cold tile. Sapphires melted into gold, then leaned down and kissed her.


	31. Chapter 31

Her body was riddled from fear. This would be the longest 12 hours of her entire life, not knowing if she made the right decision. As she sat there in her home, Koyuki knew that Yuzu's plane would have just taken off on a half a day flight back to England. Her legs bounced up and down on the floor and she kept on checking her PDA for any text messages, but she knew that she wouldn't be getting any for the 12 hours. Phones could not send or receive signals on the flight, so there really was no point in checking. The sight that she had of the plane being rerouted scratched at her skull. Was it a good idea to have her on this flight, or was this the flight that she would be taken hostage on? Koyuki just had to believe those words.

 _Koyuki sat in HOMRA bar the day after the day at the beach waiting for Kusanagi to have a free moment. Maybe he could help or shed some light on the situation at least. If anything else, he could try to calm her down. Kusanagi brought a glass of pop to Anna, who was sitting at one of the tables with Tatara, fiddling with her marbles._

 _"_ _So what's bothering you Koyuki?" Kusanagi asked sitting down on the couch beside her. He rested his head on his fist which he had propped up on the top of the cushion._

 _"_ _The other day I didn't mean to but I saw something in Yuzu's future." Kusanagi's smile overturned hearing the seriousness on her voice. This was never a good sign. "I saw her plane get hijacked and taken to a desert by a bunch of men and they all wore black and green helmets covering their whole face. They all had symbols on them." Koyuki had to catch herself and take a few deep breaths before she continued._

 _"_ _Sounds like a clan. What was their symbol like?" Kusanagi said scratching his chin with his other hand. Koyuki had to gather herself before answering._

 _"_ _It was a bunch of circles connected by lines that branched out like a tree." Koyuki saw Kusanagi's wide eyed reaction and immediately concluded that he knew the clan. Tatara and Anna couldn't help but overhear the conversation thought Tatara tried to behave as if he wasn't listening._

 _"_ _jungle." Kusanagi said._

 _"_ _I don't know if I did the right thing. I asked her to switch flights hoping that maybe that can save her but what if it was this flight that is the one she should have avoided?" Koyuki cried tears raining from her eyes. "She leaves in two days. And she can't delay any more flights. Isn't there anything we can do for her?" Kusanagi didn't know what to say. Koyuki was right in saying that this flight could be the one that she needs to avoid but how can they know that? Kusanagi looked over to Anna who shook her head. Just like that, Kusanagi knew what she was thinking. "I couldn't even get a clear vision. Why was it so distorted?" Koyuki buried her face in her hands already feeling like she'd failed. Anna got out of her seat and walked over to Koyuki._

 _"_ _You cannot clearly see events that are not set in stone. Your brain cannot handle seeing all of the possible outcomes; it just overcompensates after seeing the most likely scenario." Koyuki lifted her head and looked at the girl who was talking to her. She was confused at her sudden words. Anna hardly ever talked, but when she did, it she usually said something beyond her years that never made sense at first. "If your intentions were to get her onto a different flight to prevent the hijacking, then you did the right thing." Anna looked to the side a little disturbed but Koyuki's shoulders dropped in relief._

 _"_ _Thank goodness. That is such a relief." Koyuki breathed throwing her head back rubbing her hands down her cheeks. Anna's eyes saddened._

Koyuki knew that she could trust Anna's words but she wouldn't be completely at ease until she heard from her best friend after she had safely landed where she was supposed to. She found it hard for herself to believe that this was her at ease. She was a wreck the way her legs would not sit still and the way she tried to sigh for relief. Koyuki threw her legs over the top of the couch so that her head was hanging over the floor. Who was she kidding, she was still terrified. The way she held herself now was pathetic. Koyuki practically hit the ceiling at the sound of her PDA ringing and hit her head on the ground.

"Ow." She moaned rubbing her scalp. "Hello." She answered delighted to hear Mikoto's voice on the other side. Whenever he wasn't around, time seemed to move more slowly and she found herself missing him and sometimes crying when he wasn't there. "Oh, I'll be right there."

Koyuki sprinted out of the complex rushing over to the bar. Mikoto said that he had something important to show her and that she should come over immediately. She knocked over a display of fruit on her way without even realizing it, and maneuvered her way past everyone who got in her way. People cussed her out but she paid no attention. She had one thing on her mind and that was to get to the bar as fast as her feet could carry her. She always remembered being faster than she was now, maybe baking and eating with Mikoto was finally taking its effect. Koyuki made a mental note to eat better just before bursting through the doors of HOMRA bar.

"That was fast." Tatara said surprised as Koyuki had her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "Wait here. I'll go let Mikoto know you came." Koyuki stood up properly and looked around realizing that there was nobody else here. This was the quietest that she has ever seen it here. Usually there would have been at least a few of the others but she was the only one here at the moment, even Kusanagi was nowhere to be found. It wasn't long before Mikoto came downstairs by himself.

"Where is everyone?" She asked. Mikoto enclosed the space between them. Koyuki picked up on his restlessness. Koyuki's heart jumped. They were alone. Mikoto took her hands and sat her down on the couch with him. No, he wouldn't do that in the middle of the bar would he? And Tatara was here. They weren't really alone. "Mikoto, what's going on?"

"Koyuki… I asked Anna for a favor a while ago."

"Mikoto, I'm scared. What are you trying to tell me?" Koyuki interrupted. Mikoto smiled closing his eyes amused by her anxiousness.

"I have someone that I'd like you to meet. Anna found him… your father." Koyuki's eyes widened in disbelief then shifted to the stairs.

 _No!_ She thought seeing an older man make his way down then stood at the base of the steps.

 _No_!

A tall man with blue hair as dark as the night sky and eyes as blue and magnificent as hers stood before her at the bottom of the stairs examining her reaction. He looked like he was in his mid forties. The way his body was shaped suggested that he had more of a physical line of work. Koyuki slowly stood up, gradually coming closer to him. His eyes spoke of sadness that came from being overly happy.

"Father." Koyuki ran into his arms and he received her bringing her close to him with his beard tickling her face. She began to tear up. Mikoto stood silently at the other side of the room watching the blood reunite. When Koyuki and her father pulled away from each other, they laughed then went back into the embrace. Eventually, her father pulled away to rub the tears out of her eyes with his one had on her shoulder.

"My daughter, Koyuki." The man spoke looking into her eyes that resembled his so much.

"Should I let you have a moment?" Mikoto spoke. Koyuki and her father looked at one another before facing back to the redhead. Mikoto took the hint and walked past the two with his hands buried in his pocket and a smirk on his face that said 'mission complete' while heading upstairs.

"I can't believe how much you've grown up. You're so beautiful." Kyouya spoke looking his daughter over. "You're a spitting image of your mother. Has she treated you well over the years?"

"She's gotten worse over time." Koyuki shook her head. "I wish I had nothing to do with her."

"That woman took you away from me. If I knew what would happen, I would have fought for full custody and take you far away from her. You must have had to grow up fast and miss out on parts of childhood." Both of their faces saddened as the remembered that day though Koyuki did not remember much from that day. "But enough of those thoughts, tell me about your accomplishments in life." Koyuki thought for a moment. That was a hard subject to talk about if she was to avoid any kind of trauma from her childhood but skipped past that portion of her life. She laughed before she could even start to explain.

"I wasn't very good at school, but I somehow made a friend who was a genius and managed to graduate high school. I moved away when I was 14 by myself and got a job. I currently live alone and work here for Kusanagi and met Mikoto. We've been officially dating for three months now."

"Officially? Sounds like you two had something going for a while." Kyouya chuckled. "I can't thank Mikoto enough. One day while I was coming home from work, I decided to pick some things up before I went home. When I came out of the store he came up to me. It seemed like he was waiting outside until I was done. He was alone, and asked me if I was Kyouya Tsukasa and then he told me that he knows somebody that was looking for me. I asked him who he was talking about and he said 'your daughter'. We exchanged numbers and we met up one time. He said he wanted to make sure that I was really your father before I met you here, probably wanted to make sure that I'm nothing like your mother otherwise he wouldn't have let me see you. You've got a fine man with you if he protects you from any potentially dangerous strangers."

"I'd say you've done your good deed for the day." Tatara said as Mikoto entered his room upstairs the bar. He couldn't help but notice that his king was grinning ear to ear. "All in a day's work."

"She has her father's blue eyes." He said. Tatara sat on a chair strumming a guitar, one of his many hobbies that he has picked up over the years. Mikoto opened his eyes watching his comrade's fingers skillfully move up and down along the strings. The first time that Tatara ever picked up a guitar was when he was in middle school, and Mikoto and Kusanagi were in high school. He was terrible, and many people told him that he couldn't do it, but Mikoto was always the one to chase them away just by glaring at the critics, then they would get the idea. Some days during lunch hours, the boys would meet up and listen to Tatara play his guitar and he gradually got better. People then started to realize that Tatara had potential. "You've improved a lot over the years."

"Thanks to you and Kusanagi. If you hadn't chased away all the people that booed me, then I probably would have either played in hiding or given up altogether. I really value those days. Sometimes I just want to go back so that I can relive them over and over again." Mikoto silently agreed with him feeling nostalgic. It seemed like yesterday when Mikoto and Kusanagi first visited Tatara in the hospital after getting beat up by some kids just for speaking highly of Mikoto. Life was simpler back then and quieter.

Hours passed as Koyuki and her father Kyouya Tsukasa caught up with one another after being separated for almost all of Koyuki's life. They talked about their lives and what they both do for a living and both wanted to build a relationship going forward. After being separated, they both behaved as if they were friends that they haven't seen in a while, and there was no awkwardness or secrets. Koyuki learned that her father never married after being with her mother and dedicated his life to finding her. It was convenient that they weren't that far apart from one another as her father lived and worked in another city metropolis center for a large organization. Koyuki even told her father that she as acquired strain abilities. Kyouya didn't seem surprised by this and he mentioned that her grandmother was a strain as well with similar abilities. Apparently, he had the privilege of assisting someone who studied strains. He learned that strains can be hereditary skipping a generation. This was back years ago while he was in a different position. It made her think of Anna, whether or not she inherited her strain abilities from her grandparents or she just was one that developed it on her own. Not much is known how strains get their powers or what determines who gets powers. That is something that science hasn't concluded yet.

The day went on and the two were about to part ways. Koyuki embraced her father before he went off on his own smiling as she watched him leave. Koyuki always wanted to be a daddy's girl and now that she met with her father she felt like he was the type of father to treat her like a princess. She walked back upstairs to return to Mikoto who was in his room talking with Tatara. The boys both looked up to her when she came through the door.

"So how did it go?" Tatara asked but Koyuki dashed into Mikoto's arms catching him off guard almost sending him backwards on his bed. It took him a moment to realize what was going on and he wrapped his arms around her sobbing figure.

"Thank you so much Mikoto. I don't know how to repay you." She cried. Mikoto stayed silent and held her firmly in his arms smiling into her shoulder that he rested his head on. Tatara felt awkward sitting there, but he thought that it was sweet. It felt like she was in Mikoto's arms forever and didn't want to let go, but once they parted, it seemed like it lasted only a second as she missed his embrace already. "Thank you so much Mikoto." Koyuki repeated. Mikoto smiled and caressed her tears away. At this moment, she knew that Mikoto cared for her. This very moment was his love for her in its most pure form. He wiped her tears away but they continued to fall. "You don't know how much this means."

"You don't have to say anything, I can tell just by looking at you." Mikoto whispered. Koyuki got up and sat next to him on his bed.

"Well that was a real heartfelt reunion. It almost made me tear up." Tatara said. Koyuki laughed wiping away the last of her tears.

"All of this is thanks to Anna. If it wasn't for her, I would have had to find him the old fashioned way." Mikoto explained.

When Koyuki got home, she reflected on the entire day with her father. He wasn't really as she remembered him though her memories were so vague. He appeared slightly rough around the edges, which is one thing that was different, and she could never imagine his voice though it was deep and authoritative, but kind at the same time probably because he wanted to leave a good first impression on her. Koyuki flipped her PDA open and noticed a message from Yuzu. After listening to it she threw her head back and relaxed as she heard that her friend safely landed back in England. Finally things were starting to look up.


	32. Chapter 32

Things were starting to feel back to normal. Mikoto was back safe and sound, (or so everyone thought) Koyuki was back at HOMRA full time and everyone's spirits seemed to be up. Even Kamamoto was starting to return to his chubby self, slowly but surely. Yata didn't seem like he was mad at her anymore for the time that she peeped in on his past (which she still felt very bad for). The sight was slightly comedic almost making her want to see it again but that could have some dastardly consequences. Koyuki bent over and grabbed her stomach.

"Are you alright Koyuki? You look rather pale." Kusanagi asked the girl who was bending over.

"I'm fine, just a little anxious." She half lied. Something about her seemed off. There had been so much pressure on her, when Mikoto was gone and Yuzu was headed home, that she had developed an anxiety that seemed to stick with her. It had almost become her new normal though it was hardly something to get used to. Maybe it was the fact that she had just met her father and is feeling the burden of trying to be on her best behavior and live up to his expectations.

"Alright, but if you need some time off just let me know."

Mikoto looked at her from the couch examining her movements. Something was definitely wrong with her and it didn't just happen overnight. Koyuki hasn't even talked to him about it at all, not that wasn't completely unlike her. Mikoto knew that she tried not to make him worry by keeping silent, but by doing that she doesn't completely tell him things that he should know and then he ends up worrying about her anyway. He had to shake his head on how much they were alike at times.

"I think maybe you should do as Kusanagi says and take some time off." Mikoto suggested.

"No really, I'm okay." Koyuki gestured but was forced to put a hand in front of her mouth. Kusanagi winced at her gagging. Sighing before he got up, Mikoto then he took her hand and pulled her with him. "Hey, what are you doing?" Koyuki questioned as Mikoto hauled her upstairs to his room and set her on his bed.

"You really are stubborn sometimes ya know that?" Mikoto stated.

"I'm not the only one." She quickly defended. Mikoto raised an eyebrow.

"Do me a favor and get some rest. You don't seem well enough to be working." He ordered. Koyuki didn't like the fact that he was treating her like a child and telling her what to do. She was old enough to make her own decisions and she needed to make up for the time that she was away from HOMRA. Koyuki stood up in protest.

"I'm sorry, but I'll let my body decide what I can or can't do. Until I physically vomit or pass out, I think I'm more than capable of helping out." Koyuki declared. As soon as she did, she bolted for the washroom. Again, Mikoto sighed and walked out of his room and could hear her emptying her stomach contents into the toilet. He leaned against the washroom doorframe after she flushed the toilet.

"What'd I tell you?" Mikoto said hiding the victory in his words. Koyuki groaned before Mikoto helped her up and took her back to his room and even tucked her in bed. "Now you have to do as I say." He slightly smirked and Koyuki frowned with a slight blush. "I'll get you something for your stomach." Mikoto informed while getting up and leaving the room. Koyuki looked over at the clock on the wall and realized that some of the guys would be coming over soon as it was that time of day. How was she supposed to get any rest if people showed up and made a bunch of noise? She'd be better off going home and resting but at the same time she wanted to be nearby Mikoto.

Her eyes were drawn to her PDA as it beeped. When she flipped it open she realized that she had gotten a video message form Yuzu's mother of all people. Right away she listened to what it had to say. As the video message went on, Koyuki's face dropped and closed the phone when it had ended. Yuzu had been taken to a hospital in England. Her mother explained to her on the message that on the returning flight that she took there was a person with a rare virus that passed onto nearly everyone in the same section of the plane that she was on.

Koyuki turned to face the wall and buried her face in her hands as she lay in the fetal position. This was all her fault. If she hadn't switched her flight, then she wouldn't have gotten sick. Then again, the other flight had a grimmer outcome so maybe she shouldn't beat herself up yet. It was kind of ironic. Both her and Yuzu were both bedridden (if not forcefully) and had their own medical team aiding them. Koyuki couldn't help but cry.

Upon Mikoto opening his room's door, he heard weeping. He shut the door behind him and walked to sit with her on her bed not knowing what to say or do. "Yuzu's in the hospital with a potentially lethal virus. A guy on the flight gave it to her." She whispered. Mikoto's face initially lifted knowing that it wasn't his fault that she was crying, but saddened at the fact that Koyuki was hurt.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He apologized. Koyuki sniffed trying to gather herself. She hated being a crybaby but no matter how hard she tried not to cry, it only made it worse.

"This is all my fault. I'm the one who asked her to take a different flight and now she's paying the price for it." Mikoto stayed silent for a moment. Not knowing what else to do, he stroked her hair. Times like these Mikoto hated the feeling of uselessness. No matter what he could do, it wouldn't change the fact that Yuzu was sick overseas. Koyuki turned to him and looked up to him with tear stained cheeks. "I thought I was saving her."

"You did save her, from a crueler fate. Unless you seen the outcome, for all we know she could get better and continue on in her life. She's in the best place she can possibly be at this time." Koyuki couldn't help but smile that Mikoto was trying to cheer her up. He placed a hand on her cheek and caressed her with his thumb. "If you've forgotten, you also need to get better." He said holding up a bottle of medicine. The way he was trying to take care of her was so adorable she thought. As soon as he opened up the bottle, Koyuki lost control of her gagging reflexes. "Come on you hadn't even tasted it yet." Mikoto joked.

"Yeah but I think my stomach is extra sensitive. I don't know if I'll be able to hold this down."

"Well you're gonna have to try." He replied before Koyuki downed the liquid. She squirmed as her body threw a fit at the foul tasting remedy. If anyone had invented a better tasting medicine, then they would be a rich person. Koyuki gasped after the liquid taste started to fade. Mikoto chucked at her reaction then kissed her on the cheek.

"I can't believe you enjoyed that." Koyuki said based on his amused reaction.

"Only because you're cute."

"Well aren't you lucky." Koyuki stuck her tongue out. Mikoto couldn't help but think how true that was. When he was at his worst, she still wanted him and now he was going to repay her by being at her side through sickness and in health.

Hideki Minawa sat in his chair facing the window that overlooked Shizume city. He grinned to himself as his plan was nearing to be put into action. Siege and he had an understanding. He was about to meet up with a couple who Siege said would be willing to help with this ordeal for a sum of money. It seemed like an easy way in for partially nothing that he was concerned with. All it would take was enough money to supply his new subordinates' habits which compared to what he and his company makes is next to nothing. There was a knock at the door followed by a couple walking through.

"Ah you two must be Yatsu Nara and Kobiyashi Tsukasa. Please come in." He said turning his tall chair around. "Have a seat. My colleague informs me that you were able to identify this young lady for me as Koyuki Tsukasa because you are her mother." He held out a picture of the blue haired woman walking with a few members of HOMRA along with Mikoto.

"That's right."

"You see that man with the red hair walking right next to her? He is the one I am after. My colleague tells me that the best way to get that mans attention is through your daughter. We did a social experiment a while back to find out what, or should I say, who is his greatest weakness and it seems that that would be your daughter."

"I've never heard Koyuki talk about anyone. I haven't even heard from her since the time I decided to pay her a visit. How she breaks her mother's heart." Kobiyashi gestured before smirking. "I'll do anything as long as I get to see her."

"In good time Ms. Tsukasa. Now I need you to take your daughter away from him in order for this guy to go spiraling out of control and self-destruct. Once he is gone, then the rest of his gang will break up and will never bother my company again. In return, I will give the both of you a life time supply of the substance of your choice. We will have a special place prepared for your daughter when the time comes and you can have full access to that place to do whatever you want to her, be it punishing her for not supporting you, your choice. If that man is with her, then we are to abort the mission until they are separated. Do NOT underestimate him. Now do I have your cooperation?" Hideki explained with a savvy grin on his face. Kobiyashi looked to her partner Yatsu who was more than willing to help with this 'abduction'. Given his background, he knew how to get things done but it was all in her consent.

"I'll do it."

Koyuki rolled around in Mikoto's bed upstairs at the bar. _This is pointless. I shouldn't be laying here. I'm feeling a lot better now so maybe I can get things done. But if I go downstairs now, then I'll just be brought back up here by Mikoto,_ Koyuki thought. She pulled the sheets over her nose to cover her blush. The way Mikoto cared for her was so sweet and adorable. She missed him even though he was only downstairs. His voice and touch were the only things that would calm her down right now. It had been so long since he last checked up on her. An hour was too long for her to be without Mikoto. Koyuki surprised herself at the suddenness of tears escaping the corners of her eyes. Why was he so far away? She wiped her eyes before sitting up.

"Hey hey hey! What are you doing out of bed?" Kusanagi almost freaked as soon as Koyuki stepped foot on the downstairs turf. He stopped upon noticing some waterworks coming from the female. "Hey are you alright?" Mikoto got up and went over to her only to have her fall into him embracing herself against him.

"What is it Koyuki?" Mikoto asked ready to take out anything or anyone who could have made her cry, though there was no one else in the bar that could have done that. Kusanagi had to tell the other guys to get lost since Koyuki was sick and needed to rest so they all took Anna out for some fun.

"I'm sorry." Koyuki said looking up to him while her arms were still locked around him. "It's just that… I missed you so much." Kusanagi had to fight against himself to hold back a laugh. The scene was so emotional and it was kinda funny hearing her say how much she missed Mikoto even though they were in the same building. Seeing his long time friend being smothered by his girlfriend was something he thought that he would never witness in his lifetime. Koyuki pulled away. "I'm sorry. I know you hate it when people follow you around and get too close to you so I'll leave." Mikoto looked puzzled, as did Kusanagi. Before Koyuki could turn around and walk back upstairs, he held her by the wrist forcing her to stop and look at him.

"What's up? What's going on? You're not normally like this." Mikoto was scared and assumed that he screwed something up again and Koyuki was upset with him. She whimpered.

"Well it's just that you haven't checked up on me in over an hour and I needed to see you."

"Koyuki."

"I don't know why but I suddenly felt so lonely and I wanted to make sure that you didn't leave me." She sniffed. Mikoto looked up to Kusanagi in hopes that he would have some advice for this situation but Kusanagi just shrugged so he looked back down to her.

"I'm not going to leave you. I don't know what's gotten into you but I'm not leaving you." He said trying anything to make her feel better. Koyuki pulled away from Mikoto and nodded after wiping away the last of her tears.

"I'm feeling much better now. I don't really feel sick anymore. I'm sorry for making you two worry about me." She whispered. The boys were still confused and were getting even more so by the minute. Sure seeing Koyuki cry wasn't really anything new, but the mood swings scared both of them a bit. Koyuki didn't even understand why she was feeling this way. She wondered if it was because of their 'separation' that she grew more attached to Mikoto in almost an unhealthy manner, ever since she confessed.

"I think maybe I should go home now." Mikoto stood up and walked over to Koyuki.

"I'm coming with you." He said. "You're not going anywhere by yourself until I know you're better." Koyuki blushed at his over protectiveness then smiled. She waved to Kusanagi as they left the bar. Koyuki held Mikoto's hand as they went back to her apartment. During their walk, he noticed that her hand was trembling in his which made him worry. Her behavior was also weird and it made him nervous.

As soon as they got up to her pad, Mikoto walked inside with her and shut the door, intending to stay with her as long as he needed to. First thing Koyuki did upon getting home was lock herself in the washroom. While he waited, Mikoto wondered around looking at various pictures and décor that was displayed throughout the living room, and then he walked over and leaned against the wall beside the door to the washroom. Listening in from the other side of the door, he confirmed that she was still sick. Koyuki tried to keep the tap water running so that she could mask the sound of her coughing up in the toilet.

"Feeling better my ass." Mikoto said as soon as she came out of the washroom. She tried to avert his gaze.

"I was feeling much better. I don't know what happened." Koyuki thought out loud. Mikoto didn't say anything at first, then pushed himself off of the wall. He knew that she needed food in her stomach, but what good was it when it just came back out? He thought to himself that if she had the red aura, then she will be less likely to get sick since the heat from the flame inside serves as a defense. Maybe if he stuck around her then his aura will help her get better.

"I'm staying the night." Mikoto informed.


	33. Chapter 33

All the reviews make me so happy! Unfortunatel, I haven't had a lot of time to write but fornunately, I don't plan on stopping. I have written quite a few chapters already, it's just a matter of editing them. Again, thanks for all the reviews. I really apreciate it!

This chapter was so much fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it.

LEMON WARNING

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Waking up to Mikoto lying beside her was something Koyuki couldn't get enough of. If she had things her way, she would do it every day for the rest of her life but she was getting ahead of herself. Rolling over, she still felt the sense of nausea swirling in her belly. Even though she just woke up, she noted on how wiped she felt. It was a chore having to get up and go to the washroom. After she was finished her business, she crawled back into bed and faced the redhead. _How much is he going to sleep in this time?_ Koyuki wondered. The sight of seeing him sleep was very calming and made her feel like the world was standing still.

A good half an hour passed with Koyuki floating between being awake and asleep. Her eyes shot open as another wave of nausea washed over her. Managing not to wake the sleeping lion, she got up and made her way over to the washroom, stumbling a bit along the way. As her head hung over the toilet seat, she placed a hand on her queasy stomach. A weird sense washed over her as she questioned herself. She needed an answer so she reached into her drawer and pulled out a stick. That wouldn't be completely out of the question but she thought that she was taking every precaution so that it wouldn't happen. Anxiously, Koyuki awaited the results as she shook the instrument in the air knocking the droplets off of it. Her toes bent inwards. This was the longest 40 seconds of her life.

Her arm dropped.

Tears invaded her vision. Koyuki was pregnant. She leaned against the wall across from her toilet and looked up with a smile clutching the stick in her hand. When she looked back down at the instrument, it stated that she was six weeks along. She was going to be a mother and Mikoto was the father. Koyuki's heart almost ruptured. How was she going to tell Mikoto? What would he think? Though she felt she was not ready to become a mother, she was excited and happy to be bearing Mikoto's child. Everything was so overwhelming. She hugged her knees to her chest in the washroom trying to stop her shaking. Mikoto's child was growing inside her. Instantly, Koyuki felt a motherly love for this child that she wanted to take care and protect with her life.

Climbing back into bed, Koyuki couldn't help but smile. Would it be a boy or a girl? Who will it look like? All of these questions flooded into Koyuki's brain. Nine months or, eight months seemed like forever to wait to find out. There was so much to get ready for and not enough time. She couldn't help it she just had to embrace Mikoto. His eyes fluttered open at the sudden contact.

"How are you feeling?" He lazily moaned. Koyuki smiled as her eyes sparkled.

"I feel great. Thank you so much for being with me." She whispered. "I love you." Mikoto was not used to these words but he accepted them regardless. They both lay there in their underwear feeling their bare skin against one another. Koyuki wondered what she should do. What would everybody at HOMRA think? Now she had another reason to love Mikoto. She realized now that she probably was giving him the creeps at how clingy she had become recently and understood why. Mikoto held her against him loosely with his arms draped in front of her. What if Mikoto didn't want a child and she gave birth, would he leave her? She had to find out, but had to do it in a way so that she wouldn't reveal anything. "Mikoto." Koyuki whispered and he grunted gently right beside her ear. "What would it take for you to leave me, I mean like falling out of love with me?" His pause was enough indication that he didn't want to answer that question. After feeling Koyuki begin to shake in his arms he realized that he had no choice.

"Don't ask things like that." He moaned burying his chin into her shoulders. "I don't want to imagine what it would take. I can't even imagine life without you." Koyuki felt a little bit better, but he managed to avoid the question.

"I'm just thinking, what if something or someone was to come between us and it's not as simple as getting rid of it. What if we had to learn to live with it, then what would you do?" She felt her nausea build up again but this time she was sure that it was from the nerves. Mikoto thought that she meant Mariko at first but soon doubted that's what she really meant.

"Doesn't matter. As long as I'm with you." He simply answered. Maybe first thing in the morning wasn't the time to question him. Koyuki's eyebrows lifted as he placed a kiss on her shoulder. _Another time,_ she thought as he was so easily able to sway her away from the subject.

"Has your sleeping returned to normal yet?"

"Better with you around." He moaned. Koyuki closed her eyes and smiled. She breathed out a small sigh of relief. They both stayed quiet in the silence of the morning. Mikoto moved his hands over her stomach and placed them right over top of her womb area and caressed her. Suddenly, Koyuki became uncomfortable. Did he feel her there? Five weeks she shouldn't really be showing. She eventually moved away from him and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment. This isn't something that she should even think of keeping a secret from him. The burden felt as if it was tearing away at her very flesh trying to reach her weak and sensitive core. _Maybe when he's more awake I'll tell him,_ she thought getting up off of the bed.

"I'm going to shower." Koyuki said looking back at him. Mikoto struggled to open his eyes to acknowledge her but managed to do so.

"Alright. I'll be up soon." Yeah right. His soon when it came to getting up could be a very lengthy process. Regardless, Koyuki proceeded into the warm shower.

The morning seemed to drag on slowly as Koyuki's head was focused on her recent discovery. She was excited, but the more she thought about how much life would change with a baby, the more scared she became. Trying to picture herself as a mother was something that was too much for her. Every time she thought about it, she questioned herself if she will turn out to be like her own mother who was never there for her and only scarred her in life. Koyuki's eyes flashed open. Her father was around now. What would he think about this whole situation? She could talk to him hypothetically, since they had recently just met, and ask for advice on how to tell Mikoto the news. What convenient timing.

As the water was turned off, Koyuki thought that she had heard Mikoto up and moving already. It came as a surprise since Mikoto usually didn't get up this early unless he didn't have a good night. She dismissed those thoughts from her head. After combing through her wet hair, she wrapped a towel around herself and opened up the door. Koyuki almost dropped the towel after seeing an unwelcome guest sitting on her couch.

"Good morning." The devil herself greeted.

"Mother." Koyuki gasped backing into a person, presumably Yatsu, who grabbed her from behind. "When are you going to give this a rest?" She questioned trying but unable to fight her way out of an almost violating grip. The woman looked away not getting up from the couch. "I'm not giving you anything now let me go." Koyuki struggled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see an empty bed in her room. Her heart rate instantly tripled. It would have jumped right out of her chest if her rib cage wasn't there to stop it. Where was Mikoto? Why wasn't he there? She could sense a bad vibe this time, worse than she's ever felt, in the pit of her stomach.

"That's not why we're here. We've managed to find other means of getting what we want." Kobiyashi responded. Looking at her mother, she could sense that she hadn't had a fix yet today. She was twitching and looked quite jumpy as if she could snap at anything any minute. Koyuki gasped at the feeling of something hard being poked into her lower back and was very disturbed after realizing source. Disgust washed over her. She tried to fight to get away from the pervert so much so that she lost her hold on the towel. Koyuki's face turned beat red before squirming in his grip. Yatsu fought to restrain her and they fell on the ground with him on top of her back holding her wrists down pressing her breasts against the ground.

"Your daughter's pretty cute. I hope you don't mind if I have a little fun with her before we get moving." The man asked. Again Koyuki could feel that man hardening himself against her womanhood.

"So long as you don't have intercourse." Kobiyashi coldly said. "But hurry up. We need to do a pickup."

"Don't worry, I'll be quick." Yatsu chuckled as he trailed two fingers towards her cleft of Venus.

"Stop it!" Koyuki screeched.

The door opened from Mikoto who was holding a paper bag with food inside. It barely took him a second to register what was going on before he snapped letting his aura swirl around the room. His eyes instantly turned red as he immediately launched himself towards the man that was on top of Koyuki. Everything in the room engulfed in a fierce fire so quickly, nobody was able to respond except Mikoto as he began to beat the man to a bloody pulp. His fists grew red not just from his aura but from Yatsu's blood. Kobiyashi stood there eyes shaking as she witnessed a demonic power come from that man. This must be the one that Hideki was after she was sure of it. Remembering his words: ' _if that man is with her, then we are to abort the mission until they are separate. Do NOT underestimate him!'_ Kobiyashi found herself pleading for her life in her head until the monster looked directly into her eyes wanting nothing more than her blood and ash all over his fists.

Mikoto couldn't stop himself; all he could see was red and wanted to burn everything around him. He was so focused on the man, he hadn't even noticed another woman in the same room as him until there was no signs of life coming from the man. Mikoto had beaten him to the point where Yatsu's face was unrecognizable. Koyuki could hear him snarl. It wasn't until Mikoto stood up from the corpse that he eyed the other woman. He wiped the blood splatter on his face before proceeding to his next victim. The young woman knew that he was using too much of his power and this could potentially kill him as well as everyone around him. Koyuki had to stop him.

"Mikoto stop!" Koyuki screamed as she got up and ran towards the demon. Mikoto held out his hand and a tsunami of fire engulfed the woman's body. Koyuki squeezed Mikoto from behind. "Mikoto please stop! No more! Please!" She cried. Mikoto still tried to move towards the woman, but Koyuki fought harder to hold him back. "Don't do this! Please Mikoto!" She screamed louder. Mikoto slowly came to his senses and looked at the cowering girl that was hanging onto him with all of her might. He felt his aura retract though the room around them was still burning.

Both of their heads turned after hearing a crash. A figure wearing a fox mask had broken through the window and was taking hold of the unconscious woman before jumping back out of the window. It exited as fast as it entered. Mikoto went after it, but Koyuki dashed to the window and stopped him.

"Mikoto please just stop. Don't lose yourself." She pleaded. Mikoto looked down to her again then just before he realized that the floor above them was going to cave. He quickly picked her up, running onto her balcony, and leapt over to a balcony on one of the nearby buildings before making his way to the top of the complex. Upon safely landing on the rooftop, Mikoto set Koyuki down then unzipped his jacket, placing it around her shoulders to cover her naked body. When they turned back to where they had just come from, the entire building collapsed into rubble along with Mikoto's decaying Sword of Damocles that vanished into thin air. Mikoto's thoughts were interrupted by Koyuki embracing him.

"Stop it. Don't blame yourself." Koyuki ordered. Mikoto couldn't do as she said.

"I'm sorry. I just went to get you something to eat."

"I said stop." Koyuki almost shouted. Mikoto decided to keep quiet. "Mikoto, this isn't the first time that something like that has happened and with her around. It may not be the last." His heart dropped hearing those words. So that's where her trust issues came from. She had been violated in her past and exposed to so much by a horrible role model. It now made sense to him why she was the way she was. "He didn't do anything to me. If you hadn't walked in when you did, then he would have… so thank you."

"That was your mother?" Mikoto asked as his rage began to reduce to a simmer. Koyuki nodded. "I could have stopped her from hurting you. I still can."

"If you do that then that will only feed your fire. That won't change what has happened. I know deep down in her heart she regrets everything that she has done to me, and I think letting her live with that burden is a worse sentence then death." Koyuki explained. Mikoto thought how typical it was of her to think that. She would do anything not to have someone killed, but that only left the possibility of something like that happening again. Mikoto looked at the blood stains that were on his jacket which rested on Koyuki's shoulders. He could have easily killed her after letting his aura run loose the way he did, and if he were the cause of her death, he would never be able to forgive himself. If he leaves her for her own safety, then she could get hurt from her mother. But if he stays and something happens to her where he loses himself again, then she could also get hurt. How could he not blame himself?

Despite telling him not to blame himself, Koyuki could see that he was struggling. It's not something that you can just stop doing all of a sudden.

"I love you Mikoto." Koyuki smiled.

He wondered how she could keep smiling at a time like this. Her smile made him feel like everything was alright when really it wasn't. She had just lost her home, and had been violated, but she chose to smile to keep him from going over the edge.

"I love you too, Koyuki." Mikoto almost whispered. Koyuki continued to smile and clutched her belly hoping that the baby was alright through this experience. She made up her mind that she would get it checked out. Mikoto noticed where her hand was placed. "Did he hurt you there?"

"Uh, no. I think I may be still sick a bit. I'm alright, really." Koyuki smiled trying to hide that she was pregnant. This would be the worst time possible to tell him. Who knows what his reaction would be after what he had done today. Koyuki thought she would give it a while before she told him.

Mikoto bent down to embrace her with one had around her waist, and one had at the back of her head with his chin rested on top. Koyuki returned his embrace knowing that this was his way of apologizing. He almost never embraced her like this. Neither of them wanted to break away in fear that if they did then the other would be taken away. Mikoto wanted to protect her so bad that he thought that the only way he could do it is to keep her close like this and not let go. Eventually, they broke apart but their hands were still connected.

"Looks like we're going to have to move into the bar together." Mikoto said.

"Wait a minute, what's wrong with your place?" Koyuki asked.

"You don't want to go in there." Mikoto hesitated thinking about the state that his place was in. It wasn't any place to keep a woman with the smoky environment and holes in the walls. Since Mikoto's last fit of rage at HOMRA bar taking out the wall that connected his room to the next had since been replaced and all of the holes patched up so that it looked as good as new. It was a better place for the two. "We better let Kusanagi know. He won't have a problem with it."

"Wait a minute, did you just say 'we'?" Koyuki asked and Mikoto nodded. He knew that he couldn't leave her after the day. It's just not an option. She needs him now more than ever just as he needs her. This way her mother won't be able to locate her so easily. Koyuki was oddly overjoyed at the outcome. They were slowly moving towards being a family.

"We better get you some clothes before we go back to the bar." Mikoto suggested. Koyuki blushed before looking down at the unbuttoned leather jacket of his that she was wearing, making Mikoto smile. "And we need to clean the blood off."

"Maybe just some bottoms." Koyuki thought. She knew she had some clothes back at the bar in the laundry hamper that she could put on as soon as she gets there but she needed to be a little more presentable than she was now with the way that the jacket was fitted to her. Mikoto picked Koyuki up and jumped off of the side of the building and landed on one of the balconies then set her down to melt through a window of an empty condo with nobody home. Koyuki followed him in and went over to the closet and began browsing for something that might fit her. After she found something, she laid the outfit on the bed. Mikoto watched his jacket move down her shoulders then onto the floor. A deep lust began to stir within him as he stared at her delicate feminine backside. So easily he could have lost her. So easily could the chance to satisfy her be gone along with her voice and her moans. He had to have her now.

Mikoto went up to her and embraced her from behind with his arms underneath her breasts and began biting her ear before nipping at her neck. "Mikoto." She said with surprise as he began to squeeze her breast with his left hand. His breath in her ears tickled her to the point where she felt goose bumps forming. He spun her around and locked his lips on hers even as they fall backwards onto the bed. Koyuki's tongue rubbed against his in her mouth as he continued to fondle her breasts vigorously squeezing it to the point where she nearly felt pain. In this moment, Koyuki could feel his inner beast come out as he ravaged entirety her not giving any opportunity to fight back. His actions were very aggressive and he wasted no time to unzip his jeans enough so that his erect member was unsheathed. He didn't even bother to remove his clothes he wanted her so bad.

Koyuki screamed as he entered her taking her by surprise at his suddenness. He thrust himself down into her with their tongues still dancing and continued harder and faster, slamming into her with everything that he had. She liked how rough he was with her. It made her come to know how badly he wanted her. Mikoto kept on moving as he grew very near to releasing himself. Koyuki threw her head back as soon as she felt herself being filled. It was so warm like being in front of a fire. After the climax, Mikoto kissed her again before he pulled himself out of her then looked down at her panting figure.

Making their way back to the bar, Koyuki had felt a little bad that they had just had sex on some stranger's bed. The day had weird emotions for the both of them from all of the events that it held but nervousness seemed to take over Koyuki's behavior. She was pregnant. She didn't know how to tell Mikoto and everyone, she was going to move in with Mikoto, and she knew that Mikoto felt bad for everything that had happened. Regardless, she continued with her life.

"Hey." Kusanagi greeted as soon as the two entered. "How are you feeling, Koyuki?" This caught her off guard. How was she feeling about what? Having her home destroyed, being nearly violated, being pregnant? She felt scared shitless but she wasn't going to let anyone know that instead she just smiled.

"I feel better. Not completely myself." Kusanagi didn't bother to question why they were out if she wasn't completely better, but he kept that to himself and returned to his bartender duties. Mikoto walked up to his friend and looked him straight in the eye.

"We're moving in here." He said bluntly shoving the plan right down the man's throat practically causing him to choke.

"Oh, is that right? Well don't make a mess of the bar area." Kusanagi responded coolly. He knew that he shouldn't question his king in front of Koyuki, though he really didn't have much of a problem with it other than the incident where he destroyed the portion of his bar, merged two rooms together in the upstairs, and punctured countless holes in the walls. How could he not have a problem? But this was something that he would come to him quietly when no one else was around. As long as they kept the bar in pristine shape, and kept away from his stock of alcohol, then he wouldn't mind quite as much. Koyuki headed for the stairs.

"I'm going to do the laundry." She said before twirling around and climbing the stairs. Some of her clothes were left here but she needed to go shopping now. Her PDA was also conveniently left upstairs in Mikoto's room.

"Alright what the hell is this all about?" Kusanagi questioned as soon as Koyuki was out of hearing distance.

"Her apartment got burned down."

"What the hell did you do?" Mikoto did not respond, but he uneasily shifted his weight. Normally he would have taken that question lightly, but not this time. The bartender knew that the only explanation is that Mikoto lost his temper, but he wondered what happened to make it come to that. "Did you two fight?"

"No. I had to protect her." Was all he said. Kusanagi watched regret claim his friends persona as he shrunk into a slouch. Mikoto dug his hands in his pocket and turned away from the bartender. "I'm not leaving her side. I have to keep her safe." He was not questioned any further. Mikoto wasn't going to say anything else about the subject; instead, he advanced upstairs where he could be with the one he needed to protect.


	34. Chapter 34

Since that horrible yet blessed day, Koyuki and Mikoto had fully moved into the bar and began their life together as a married couple, except, they weren't married. They began their life living together. Kusanagi didn't show any problem with it in front of Koyuki, but he and Mikoto had an understanding about the place the only problem is that there was nowhere for the two to escape to. There was almost always somebody else there other than the early morning or late evening. It was something that they would have to get used to until they can find their own place though they had not yet talked that thought over.

Koyuki had been to the doctor for a checkup just to make sure that the baby was alright. The doctor confirmed that she was pregnant and was currently at what appeared to be week six of development. The doctor told her all the dos and don'ts and what to stay away from for the next eight plus months. It all seemed so scary and there were so many limitations if she wanted the baby to be healthy. Morning sickness, (though it usually lasted all day) was still all too real for her but she knew what was causing it at least and it has been starting to get more under control.

After losing everything in her apartment, Koyuki had very few clothes and could feel the clothes that she did have starting to feel a little bit tight on her mostly around her stomach. She knew that it would only get worse. After the doctors, she decided to go shopping and bought a few outfits that were looser to hide the fact that she was pregnant until she was ready to tell everyone. She didn't want to overdo it since she would only get bigger. Mikoto wouldn't let her go anywhere by herself anymore. He always had to be there with her. It actually felt like he was crowding her at times but she knew that he was doing it because he didn't want anything to happen to her. Tatara convinced that he would go shopping with Koyuki and keep an eye out for her, which Mikoto agreed to, but she was silently irritated that she couldn't get any time for herself.

Tatara was actually quite fun to shop with. He wasn't like the typical guy that waited outside of a store or rushed her rather he helped her chose out items and carried her bags for her with his friendly smile. Shopping was enjoyable to Tatara. Most guys want to get in and out as fast as they can in any store, but Tatara took his time.

"Are you alright Koyuki?" Tatara asked taking the shopping bags from her arms. "You look quite tired." It's true she was feeling tired, but she didn't want Tatara to know why. If he were to find out, then he would blab to everyone at HOMRA and Mikoto has to be the first one to find out.

"I'm alright. I don't think that I'm 100% better yet. That may take a while." Koyuki tried to convince. "Is there any place you want to look at all? I'm close to being done."

"Actually there is one place. It's not too far from here and it's on the way back to the bar." Tatara said starting to lead the way. Maybe going shopping after visiting the doctors wasn't such a good idea. Koyuki felt like she was nearly completely drained of energy and almost regret asking if Tatara had a place he wanted to visit but she fought with herself to keep on moving along. They entered a music store that had a variety of acoustic guitars on display in the windows. "Just a second, I'll be right back." Tatara informed. Koyuki nodded her head and waited around in the sheet music area and began mindlessly browsing through the titles as she walked along the isle. She knew that Tatara played guitar but she had never heard him. The thought had crossed her mind if she should pick up playing an instrument but laughed at picturing herself trying to even hold a guitar. Probably would be best to stay away from that hobby and leave it for Tatara. Koyuki stopped as soon as her eyes caught a title and her heart almost melted as she reached out and grazed it. "Sorry about the wait." Koyuki lifted her head.

"Oh, I didn't know you brought your guitar in here."

"Yeah, it needed a tune up and a couple new pieces. I left it here and they called me to let me know that it was ready for pickup." He answered holding the guitar which was inside a black fabric case that he had thrown around his shoulder. "Now shall we?" Koyuki looked down at the sheet music before responding. Tatara followed her gaze down to the paper. "Do you like that song?" Tatara asked interrupting her thoughts. She nodded.

"It's one of my favorites. It means a lot to me and it makes me think of Mikoto in a way." Tatara looked more closely at the title after Koyuki mentioned this.

"You know I may just have this one. It's either back at the bar or at home. When I find it I'll play it for ya."

"That would be great." She smiled. The two of them left the music store and Koyuki looked over to Tatara who was carrying all of the bags plus his guitar. "Do you want me to carry anything for you? You've got a lot of stuff there in your hands."

"It's alright, I got it." He answered adjusting the guitar strap. All of a sudden, Koyuki got an awkward feeling. Something told her that Tatara was going to ask about their relationship now that they were living together but she couldn't blame them. The guys told her that Mikoto had never been this serious before and never really shown any interest. This was as much of a shock to them as it was for Koyuki. It always seems to be the subject that the guys talked about. Maybe if there was another girl around or Anna was a little bit older then they wouldn't be such… boys.

Anna…

"Hey Tatara? How old was Anna when she started hanging around with everybody at HOMRA?"

"Six or seven maybe. Her aunt was the one who first brought her here. Since then, we've kinda adopted her. It's funny how King showed complete disinterest in her at first and even called her a brat, but over time he warmed up to her. Mikoto was the only person that Anna showed any interest in at the time but now she's completely come out of her shell." This troubled Koyuki. What does this mean as far as him being a father? He was so much younger at the time. Hopefully when it comes to his own child he will act differently then when he first did with Anna. Though their relationship was not anything like a father daughter but more like a big brother and little sister, having his own child would be different. Tatara noticed the discomfort on Koyuki's face.

Koyuki stayed quiet on the rest of the walk back home. It was funny to think of the bar as home now. The upstairs of the interior was so boring, especially in Mikoto's room. It proved that he didn't need much to survive though Koyuki found the blankness kind of depressing in a way. Overtime, she was sure that she would add her own touches to the place. As soon as Koyuki stepped through the doors to the bar, a cloud of smoke entered her lungs causing her nausea to come right back around. Sure enough Mikoto, Kusanagi and Chitose were all smoking.

"Welcome home." The bartender greeted with a friendly smile. Koyuki began coughing and wheezing and quickly ran back outside into the fresh air. "Has she always been this sensitive to smoke?" Kusanagi asked and Mikoto shook his head. "She must still be sick." Mikoto was the first one to put out his cigarette, regardless that he didn't finish, and motioned for everyone else to do so. He cracked open all the windows before going outside to check up on Koyuki. Tatara made his way through the cloud and brought the shopping bags upstairs and placed his guitar downstairs in the main bar area. "Looks like the man with a thousand hobbies got his guitar back."

Mikoto walked outside with his hands buried in his pockets and looked around for Koyuki finding her a ways away at a bus bench. Smelling all the cigarette smoke triggered her nausea so she sat there clutching her swirling stomach. Smoking would be a no go while she's pregnant that's for sure both to keep her healthy and the baby.

"You alright?" Mikoto called as he neared her. She could smell smoke on his breath as he neared her causing her to wince a bit. He stopped, hiding the confusion that he felt. Panic arose from within her and she didn't know if it was from nausea or the fact that she and Mikoto were alone. This brought back familiar feelings of when she first fell for him. Mikoto sat beside her placing one of his arms along the top of the bench and crossing one leg over the other. Koyuki blushed. Mikoto blinked once before speaking again. "Am I bothering you?" Koyuki shook her head.

"No. I'm just over sensitive of smells now." Mikoto continued to look at her blush as it refused to go away.

"What did the doctor say?" This caught her off guard. Koyuki had practiced what she would tell him mentally but no matter how much she prepared herself, she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She almost cracked under the pressure.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just a virus that will go away. It is nearing that time of year." Koyuki thought she was such a coward. Why was she so afraid? If it kept on going like this, she will gain weight and Mikoto will be questioning why she is getting so heavy all of a sudden. Koyuki reached down and placed her hand on top of his. "By the way, thank you for buying all of those clothes for me."

"I kinda had to. It was sort of my fault that you lost everything." Mikoto replied. He almost couldn't believe what he just said. This really was his fault wasn't it? If it weren't for him, she would still have everything. Mikoto's thoughts grew dark and grim but it wasn't until Koyuki chuckled that brought him back to reality.

"If you really wanted to move in together, you didn't have to burn down the building. All you had to do was ask." Koyuki's smile passed onto Mikoto. He couldn't help but smirk at her strange optimism. It was what kept him going. It was like a refreshing wave on a hot day and he couldn't live without it. Koyuki was smiling and laughing, but they both knew that he did it as a result of him letting himself go and letting his anger consume him even though it was for a rightful cause. That's another crack on his Sword of Damocles. Secretly, Koyuki blamed herself for the decaying.

"And give you the opportunity to say no? I don't think so." Mikoto joined. Koyuki chuckled lightly then squeezed his hand. They were at an impasse. Koyuki blamed herself for all of the damage she caused to his Sword of Damocles because of her weakness as a result she tries so hard to cover up all of her sorrows. Mikoto blamed himself for all of her suffering since hardships seems to follow him everywhere and because of that he was terrified that if something were to happen to her, he wouldn't be able to control his aura and may wipe Koyuki out. He tried to dismiss those thoughts from his head. "Do you want to go back inside? The smoke should be vented by now." Koyuki took a moment before answering to assess her nausea level and determined she was safe.

"Okay."

Entering back into the bar, Koyuki and Mikoto couldn't help but notice that all of the guys were circled around Yata, who was balancing a baseball bat on his forehead, and were cheering like they were watching at the big leagues. Shouhei was holding onto Yata's watch in his hand keeping time. "Go, go, go." They all cheered in unison except for Kusanagi and Eric.

"Fifteen more seconds then we got a new record." Tatara informed from behind Shouhei as he was peering over his shoulder to check the watch.

"What the hell is going on?" Mikoto asked Kusanagi casually taking a seat on one of the barstools facing the circus performer. Koyuki joined the circle and cheered with them.

"They were bored so I gave them a challenge. It's better than them skateboarding in here. Yata's not the problem but when Tatara gets on that board then there's sure to be some kind of damage."

Everyone's heads turned as the bell above the door chimed causing Yata to drop the bat. He swore profoundly at the disturbance that made him miss his time but stopped to look at a lone young man that stood at the door. He had short spiky brown hair shorter then Kamamoto's and looked around the room like he was paranoid. Mikoto's beastly eyes pierced in the stranger's direction.

"Welcome, what can I get for you?" Kusanagi asked in his normal friendly tone that he only used when serving customers. The man took two steps and placed his hands in his baggy hoodie while continuing to look around. Koyuki felt a nervousness begin to swirl around in her stomach since the man came through the door. He brought an eerie silence with him.

"Is this where I can join HOMRA?" He asked. Kusanagi looked at Mikoto before answering. The king just stared.

"I'm sorry but our ranks are all filled up." Kusanagi started.

"Please let me join." He almost shouted. Kusanagi took a moment to assess him. "Please let me talk to the king."

"Why do you want to join kid?" Mikoto spoke up. The guy stopped for a moment almost like he had never thought about it before. All the guys watched from the other side of the room, curious as to how this would turn out. There were only two outcomes and they all had a feeling that they would know what would happen. Koyuki was exceptionally curious since she was the last one that she knew of who received the aura and she wondered if they would get a new member, but she didn't really like the way that this guy carried himself.

"Because I want to be like you guys." Mikoto didn't think that was a good enough answer.

"You won't make it." Mikoto said almost coldly. Koyuki questioned his bluntness.

"What? What do you mean I won't make it? What gives you the right to say that I won't make it? I will do whatever it takes to be one of you guys even if I have to abandon my way of life." He stated. Mikoto did not believe his words. Words can only take a person so far.

"Not just anyone can hang with is. A lot of people get hurt in the process and currently you don't have what it takes. For your own safety, you should probably forget about becoming one of us." Kusanagi responded taking over, but the man didn't have any plans on backing down.

"You don't understand." The man started. Koyuki pondered to herself why Mikoto and Kusanagi were so adamant on refusing him and why he was so adamant on being a part of the clan, but she really questioned why Mikoto thinks that 'he won't make it'. In order for a person to receive the Red King's Aura, they must grip his right hand so that Mikoto can transfer his powers. Were they questioning him because they think that he will turn on them once he receives the aura and use it for his own betterment? "Where's the king?" He asked.

"You're looking at him." Kusanagi answered pointing his thumb in Mikoto's direction. The man's eyes met Mikoto's intimidating gaze and took a hesitant step backwards. Koyuki was not sure of his real intents. The man gulped as if silently begging Mikoto for his aura. The king walked up to the guy so he was a few feet in front of him and as he lifted his head to meet the kid's gaze, Mikoto's aura burst out of him sending everyone in the room staggering on their feet. Everyone questioned what Mikoto was doing and Koyuki wondered if she should stop him.

"You can't handle the power that I have stored inside of me but since there's no way of convincing you, you're just gonna have to learn it the hard way." Mikoto stated. This power of his was so magnificent the way that it exploded from his body. Every time Mikoto released his aura the way that he did, Koyuki couldn't help but be in awe at all of this power coming from a single person. That much power was the reason that Mikoto couldn't always control it. It is not something that can be contained. It fought like a wild beast wanting to break free of his control. Mikoto's power was magnificent, but truly terrifying. "Now if you think you can handle it, grab my hand."

The sight of seeing Mikoto fully engulfed in his red aura caused the visitor to hesitate but soon his eyes focused on the flaming hand extended towards him. The guy tried to take a step towards it but the pressure of the aura pressed against his body trying to send him backwards. Fighting against the force of Mikoto's aura, the newbie extended his own hand fighting against the intense heat that was beginning to melt the skin off of his hand. Koyuki couldn't help but watch with her own body taking a toll from the immense heat as the flames danced around her lover. She wanted Mikoto to stop this, but her voice couldn't be heard over the whip of the flame. Mikoto stood there waiting and watching. He knew that the newcomer wasn't going to make it and only did this to show him in hopes that he would pull away before anything serious happened. The kid kept on coming. He inched closer, slowly making his way to Mikoto's hand, but as soon as he made contact with the searing hot flesh, his arm caught fire. No one had any time to react. His scream sounded like death itself as his entire body engulfed in the flame. In a matter of seconds, his body completely turned to ash. Koyuki's eyes widened with a gasp as she stared at the pile that was once called a man.

The guys all reacted like they have already seen this before in which they had, but Koyuki could not move her trembling legs away from the scene. A death like that was never going to become unseen. Mikoto casually walked past everyone, taking a quick harsh glance at Koyuki and climbed up the stairs. That was the beast that he housed inside of him.


End file.
